Dark Roses
by flying werecats
Summary: Rosie has been home schooled all her life and has no friends. When she finally gets to go to high school,she befriends the school's lowest person... Jojo Mcddod. But the popular girls aren't happy with the two "outcasts"...READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!
1. Chapter 1

If you're reading this, I've done something right. If you're not, I'm talking to myself. This is just the first of a whole list of stories, even series to do. Anyway, I'm proud of this story so far. Enjoy! And don't forget to review!

_**Chapter one:**_ _**A Brand new Outcast  
**_

The pale white orb that was the moon had risen above Whoville as a dark figure silently made his way toward Whoville's abandoned star studying tower, the very same observatory that he went to every night, escaping the troubles of the world, and forgetting who he was.

He was the mayor's son, the young mayor to be, whether he wanted the title or not, which he didn't. He was the only male in his family, and the oldest, with 96 sisters, a caring mother, and a loving, if somewhat misunderstanding, father. He was...

Jojo Mcdodd. His Black and silver gray striped fur, silence, and non-social status warded off any possible friends, along with fact he was to be the next mayor, earning him some jealousy from the guys. And yet, he had saved Whoville.

Nobody seemed to remember this at school. Though the teachers and kids were shocked to find he would now say a word or two every now and then, they got over it quickly, and paid him as much attention as before. Only now, his family, his dad included, knew about the observatory.

His dad. Ned Mcdodd, the mayor of Whoville, loved by everyone, it seemed, except the chairman. A clumsy and, as said before, misunderstanding, person.

Jojo sighed. Why couldn't his dad just see the truth? He didn't WANT to be mayor. But his father would press on, telling how grand and wonderful being mayor was. Telling him how the mayoral crest had been passed down from generation to generation. It almost made him guilty.

But he didn't want it. After yelling "Don't!" and saving Whoville, he had almost got up the nerve to tell his father that he didn't want the crest. ALMOST. Why couldn't the second oldest be mayor? SHE would want the title. Again, Jojo did NOT WANT to be mayor.

But here...Here, away from prying eyes, Jojo could do what he loved best... Build instruments, and make music. The thick walls held in the sound, so no one in Whoville could hear it. Except one, one unknown little who that could hear the music, and was often lulled to sleep by it. One little who, and her name was Rosie.

She was 14, like Jojo, and his height, with dark red and black striped fur, and she loved music. Her family had always said she could hear music that wasn't there, so she told them nothing about the late night symphonies, afraid they would only laugh.

And yet, it had to be real... She heard it every night... It had to be real... Right? If it weren't, would it happen so often? She couldn't be sure... But it was there...Every night, it was there... Gorgeous melodies that seemed to float down from heaven, from many orchestras combined. One day, perhaps, she would go to the observatory, to see if it WAS in her head or not. But not tonight. Tonight, she was tired. Tonight, she would rest. Maybe, tomorrow. Just maybe...

"Breakfast!" Sally Mcdodd called. All was silent, and then...

"Yeah! Breakfast!"

"I still don't have a who phone! WHY CAN'T I HAVE A WHO PHONE?"

"Oh, who cares? _I_ got a whopod!"

"Nobody asked you!"

"I can talk when I want to!" A thundering crowd of girls swept through the halls toward the dining room. But only one who was missing...

"Where's Jojo?" Asked Sally, as all her children clambered into their seats. All, that is, except for the one who that had been getting more and more tired every day lately.

"We didn't see him. He's probably still in bed," An older girl shrugged as the seats jolted, and swung around, allowing Ned to spend time with each child for 12 seconds each. Sally sighed.

"Jojo? Jojo, it's time to get up for the first day of school... You'll be late!" He sighed, and hopped out of bed. Sally headed back to the dining room. Ned was talking to an excited who that was jumping up and down next to her seat.

"I FINALLY GOT A WHO PHONE!" She screamed. The chair lurched and moved, and she ran and jumped into it. Ned turned for a moment, saw Sally, and smiled, but then went back to his youngest daughter, Heady.

"Tooph!" She exclaimed, feeling her new tooth.

"Tooth, Heady. Remember the TH?" Ned told her.

"Tooph with a TH! Member!" Ned shook his head. And as Sally got into her seat, Jojo slowly walked toward his. It was coming in his direction, so he didn't have to chase it.

"Worse part of the day," He thought, as he climbed into his seat and it lurched, and pulled him closer to his dad, who was congratulating one of his sisters for getting better then best on ALL her who tests. What a totally normal, totally TEDIOUS morning.

The chair swung closer. He glanced over at his dad.

"Already? How can I be this close so suddenly?" He groaned inwardly. Just 12 sisters to go... He had just over two minutes. And, sure enough, two minutes and 24 seconds later, the chairs lurched, and brought him to a halt...Right in front of his dad.

"Yo, Jojo! What up? Having a good morning? Watcha doing after school? You gonna chill?" He rolled his eyes and swung his chair around.

"8 seconds to go... 7, 6, 5,4,3,2..." BRIIIING! The chair swung away as his dad said,

"...And how are your teachers? Made any new friends?" It was over. 12 Second torture was over... Jojo sighed. Why had he gotten a mayor as a father?

"Good, and no. I don't have any friends," He thought. "And I probably never WILL. So why do you ask me that EVERY MORNING?" As he got on his bus, out of the three in front of his house, someone jumped up and sat in another seat.

"NO WAY am I, like, sitting next to HIM!" They told their neighbor.

"Why?" Asked the girl, puzzled. The popular girl stared at her. As did everyone else, including the bus driver. "Why?" She repeated.

"Because, he's like, SUCH a loser! What, were you home schooled for your entire life?"

"Yeah, I was. I've never set foot in a school before," The popular girl laughed.

"Then, you're like, at the bottom of the social ladder, right in front of, like, HIM! Oh, in case you didn't know... I'm Tiffany. Tiffany Taffy. And I'M at the TOP of the social ladder...Some advice, though... To get more popular, get a boyfriend. But you'll never get one if you're around, like, the mayor's son over there. So stay away from him, all right?"

"No, that's not all right. You're shunning him!" Tiffany gaped at her, and even the bus driver gasped. The girl got up, edged past the stricken Tiffany Taffy, and sat down next to Jojo.

"Why?" He asked himself. "Why would she sit next to me? She just outcasted herself!"

"Stupid, stuck up, insensitive... Oh, sorry. My name's Rosie. What's yours?" She asked, looking at him curiously. "Mayor's son, huh? Doesn't look like he likes it..." She said to herself.

"Jojo," He told her, before turning and staring out the window. "It's bad enough for her to SIT next to me... Now she's TALKING to me? She's CRAZY!" He thought.

"I don't care what those stupid, stuck up bullies think of you... I think we'll be good friends..." Rosie leaned over and whispered, "Plus... That Tiffany girl's got horrible taste!" Jojo jumped.

"She just insulted Tiffany! She's not just crazy, she's SUICIDAL! If Tiffany had heard that..." Jojo looked over at the who, all pink, with a cotton candy blue purse. "Well... I guess she IS right. And it's her loss," He nodded. Rosie smiled.

"See? Maybe we'll be friends, after all! Do you have any other friends?" He shook his head. " Neither do I. I've almost never left my house, and I don't chat on the computer unless it's with family..." She trailed off as her who phone began to sing _We're the Kids in America_. "Hello? Mom! Yes, I have all my stuff... Yes! 'Bye, Mom!" She hung up, and shook her head. "My favorite song, my favorite person! I'll change it if I get a friend... Actually... I have!" She beamed at him. He took out a notepad and wrote, _it's my favorite song, too._ She smiled as she read it, and gave the notepad back to him. "Cool!" She exclaimed.

Soon, the school loomed in front of them. When they walked into the school, everyone stared. Leaning over, Rosie whispered,

"Why are they staring at me? Is it because I'm with you?" He nodded. She looked around at all the kids. Some were snickering, and some looked at her with pity. She smiled and said loudly,

"Wow... All you poor people think you're so smart, and I'm mental... Well, we'll see who's the smart one, now, won't we?" A few kids with bad grades narrowed their eyes. One girl came forward and said plainly,

"I'm one of Tiffany's good friends... And she told me ALL about you. Well, from what I hear, you ARE mental! And I'm Stacey Store, by the way. Don't even TRY to mess with me!"

"Why? You'll cry and run home to your mother? I sure would, if **I** looked like that!" Stacey paled, and then turned red, as some kids laughed. Furiously, she growled,

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny. I would cry if I had to look as bad as YOU! ESPECIALLY if I had to walk around with THAT boy!" Rosie flushed.

"Leave him alone, you stupid, stuck up snob!" Everybody gasped. Stacey was second most popular in school, and NOBODY made fun of HER! She growled.

"This isn't over, you little brat... ROSIE, is it? When Tiffany and I are done with you, you'll wish you'd never been born!" The cotton candy blue who with the pink purse spun and stomped off angrily to find Tiffany, her best friend.

"Well..." Chuckled Rosie. "Guess I'm famous... And not in a good way..." Jojo handed her the notepad. It read, _you don't know the half of it_. She laughed. "I bet. Those two are twins in opposites!" He nodded in agreement, and, as they had the same first period, and lockers right next to each other, they headed off to class.

"Oh, man... Now I know why my parents home schooled me!" Groaned Rosie as she hauled her books and homework to her locker. "At least the day's over!" Jojo nodded. He handed her the notepad. _Do you like music?_ Rosie smiled. "My family says I love it so much, I can hear it when it's not even there! In fact, I hear it every single night!" Jojo froze.

"She can HEAR it? I thought I was the only one who loved it enough to hear it outside of the observatory!" He thought. He shook himself. Rosie was concerned.

"What's wrong?" She asked. He wrote on the notepad and handed it back to her. _Nothing. I just hear it every night, too. Lately, anyways_. Rosie smiled. "That's it! It wasn't always there ALL the time, but it is now... Hey, that means it's real! I'm not crazy!" Jojo laughed to himself. Not every girl would've said that out loud, especially in school. Then again, this was ROSIE, and Rosie wasn't exactly a normal girl. No normal girl would have dared to be his friend.

"Maybe..." He thought. But Rosie suddenly said,

"Uh, Jojo? Who in the name of Whoville... Is that your FAMILY?" He looked up. A huge crowd of girls, along with BOTH his parents, had parked a HUGE limo outside the school! He quickly wrote something on the notepad and handed it to her before they hit him.

"You have _**96**_ sisters?" She shrieked. All the girls laughed.

"Sorry, Jojo. One of your sisters called and said you had a new friend. And your mother got a hold of her parents, and they said it'd be _great_ if she had dinner with US!" The mayor apologized to the poor boy hidden somewhere in the pile of girls. Then, he turned to Rosie. "Rosie Reeses, right? Right this way... You're in the back. It's the only seat available, and it's next to Jojo... His sisters fight too much over who gets to sit next to him, you see," Rosie nodded. She COULD see. A massive fight had broken out, with somewhere near 50 girls, easily, involved.

"There's a 100 of you!" She breathed.

"With you, there is! Hi. I'm Sally, Jojo's Mom,"

"And I'm Ned Mcdodd, mayor of Whoville, Dad of these wonderful children, and husband to this beautiful wife!" He nearly tripped as a swarm of girls flooded past him into the limo. "And you'd better hurry. I think Jojo's already in," Indeed, he was. She'd seen him sneak in before the rest of the girls to save time and hide. But he wasn't having much luck.

"Jojo! Tell us about your friend!"

"Fend!" Heady shrieked. "Fend Wosie!"

"Is she your GIRLFRIEND?"

"What's her favorite color? Come ON, Jojo! Tell us!"

"TELL BOUT FEND WOSIE! WOSIE FAVIT COWER!" Heady screamed, sounding delighted, and very pleased with herself.

"All right, all right, that's enough! Leave your poor brother alone!" Sally commanded.

"Mr. Mcdodd, WHAT would you DO without your wife?" She asked, amazed.

"Drop to my knees and beg for mercy," He smiled. "Well, go on," She reluctantly climbed into the back of the limo, and sat next to Jojo. "AND CALL ME !" He yelled over the kids. Rosie only just barely heard him. Jojo handed her the notepad. _How would you like to LIVE with this bunch?_ She couldn't hear anything, so she wrote _Oh, they're not that bad. Chaotic, yes, but bad, no_. He smiled.

_You have no idea. Just wait until dinner_.

_Don't worry. I will. I'm still trying to imagine your table_.

_You might as well give up trying_.

_That's what I thought you'd say_.

_Great minds and true music lovers think alike_.

_Ditto to that_.

And before long, Rosie found herself eating dinner with the Mcdodds.

"I don't know if I can get used to this..." Rosie's hands were clamped tight on the seat of the chair, since it was the only thing that DIDN'T seem to move.

"Rosie, you're not eating!" One girl exclaimed. It was true. She'd grabbed as much food as possible BEFORE it was nibbled on by anyone else, and had held her plate in her lap carefully, eating the little bit as slowly as she could. Jojo was sitting next to her, and he hadn't touched the first plate, allowing Rosie to get some untouched food before she refused to eat at all.

"I'm sorry… I'm just not hungry!"She told the girl, who just shrugged. Leaning over to Jojo as best she could without falling out of the moving chair, she whispered, "I STILL can't remember all their names!" He shrugged, and handed her the notepad.

_Most people can't. 99 names is a lot to remember in one day_.

"Yeah…" She glanced around at the girls. "At least I remember some!" She recognized a few girls here and there, but compared to the total, it was nothing. For instance, she knew Heady…

_Good for you_. After dinner, Sally offered to drive Rosie home. She agreed, and climbed into the limo with her. Once they got going, Sally said,

"Did you have a good time? Things can get a little hectic, and I noticed you weren't eating. Not a big fan of sharing food?" She nodded. "Well, I can understand that… Especially when you hardly know us!" And soon, Rosie found herself home again.

"Goodnight, Sally!" She waved, as the mayor's wife headed home.

"Goodnight, Rosie!" She heard her call back. She smiled. Inside, her parents excited.

"A new friend already! And a boy, too… The mayor's son, no less! Did you like the Mcddods?" Her Dad rambled, as her Mom said,

"I'm so PROUD of you, sweetie! You've made a friend on your first day! Who could have guessed? Was that a LIMO out there? Why would they need that, for show?"

"No, Mom… They've got 96 daughters, and Jojo, so they need the limo as their normal family car," Her parents gaped disbelievingly. She smiled.

"No! So I've heard, but of course, I didn't believe it…" Her Dad breathed.

"Well, if you've finished asking questions, I'm tired. So, goodnight, Mom, goodnight, Dad!" And she ran to her room while she still had the chance. "Whew, that was close…" Suddenly, faintly, she heard the music. Smiling, she got into bed, and let the music lull her to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Music Source**

Rosie woke up to find her alarm clock buzzing insistently. With a groan, she shut it off, and slid out of bed. After she had showered and brushed her fur, she slipped quietly into the dining room.

"Hey, Mom," She mumbled. Her dreams had been fantastic, and she wished she could return to them.

"Good morning. Are you ready for questions now?" Her Dad looked up from the Who Sentinial, and her Mom gave her a look that said, "Well?"

"I haven't got much of a choice, do I?" She asked. They shook their heads. She sighed. "Fine,"

"Was it fun over there? What'd you do? Can you remember all the girls' names? No? Well, I suppose you probably wouldn't..."

"How was Jojo? And his parents? And what was it like being picked up from school by a limousine? How many people were there?" She sighed, and began to answer.

"The red hairbrush is _mine_..."

"No, it isn't! _Yours_ is the blue one!"

"I got a Who phone!"

"QUIT SAYING THAT!"

"Well, I did..."

"So? That doesn't mean we have to **care**..." Sally eyed them all. Jojo was missing again. She headed up to his bedroom. He was sprawled out on his bed as if he were a young child who'd been up, heard their Mom or Dad, and had leapt into bed and covered themselves messily, and fallen asleep that way.

"Wake up, Jojo... You'll be late for school," She sighed. Whatever was wrong with him took away from his sleep. WAS he sleeping? Perhaps not. He got up, and she left for breakfast.

"What's wrong with him? He must not be sleeping at night," She told Ned. He shrugged. Suddenly, as the chairs jerked Heady over to them, she began to cry.

"Heady want Fend Wosie! WHERE FEND WOSIE?" Sally reached over and picked up her daughter.

"Rosie is at her house, Heady. She went home,"

"Take Heady to Fend Wosie's! Fend Wosie's ome!" Jojo walked in the room then, dragging his feet. He managed to jump into his seat, but nearly fell when it moved. Sally had barely managed to get Heady to get in her seat and stop crying when they had moved, and she'd noticed Jojo's close call.

"He's obviously not sleeping. So what's he doing?" She thought. She shook herself. It wasn't her business. He was probably just upset, and unable to sleep. She began to give her attention to the next 15 daughters in line, and not to her only son.

"15 Sisters to go... Why am I doing this to myself? I'm falling asleep as it is..." He thought. He closed his eyes for a moment, and opened them to find he was the next in line before his Dad...

"So, Jojo, how was Rosie? I sure am glad you've got a friend... So, what's the word? You diggin' school?" He rolled his eyes, turned his chair, and thought,

"5...4...3...2..." BRIIIING. The timer went off, and the chair moved on. He breathed a sigh of relief, as his Dad began to talk to some other girls... When Jojo got on the bus, he immediately heard Rosie call,

"Hey, Jojo, over here!" She was leaning into the isle, chatting with a couple guys. One had gray fur, and the other had black fur. When he got close, she stood up and let him sit next to the window. "This is Orrin..."

"Hey!" Said the black one with a smile. Jojo'd seen him and his brother in school.

"...And Nirro," The gray one smiled. "They were just saying we should form a band,"

"Totally! I've heard you've got a great singing voice, and you rock on practically every instrument in existence!" Jojo felt his cheeks turn red, and he wrote quickly on the notepad and handed it to Rosie.

_Who told you that?_

"One of your sisters," Orrin admitted. Jojo sighed. It was just like them. He shrugged.

"Well? If we form a band, will you join?" Nirro asked in a quiet voice.

"Don't mind him. He's got a really sore throat today...Give him a day or two, and when he's better, you'll wish he were too sick to talk ever again!" Nirro punched his brother's arm. "Ow!"

"Aw, come on, guys!" Rosie scolded, laughing.

"It's not funny, man! It **hurts**!" She laughed again, and Jojo smiled.

"Weird," He thought. "That as soon as someone stuck up for me, and became my friend, these two want to be my friend, to. Maybe it's just how Rosie works," But as they went along, and the two boys still seemed not to care who he was, treating him like a normal person, Jojo decided he didn't care if they WERE only pretending... They made it real enough to matter.

"Come on. We're here," Rosie announced, as the bus lurched to a halt, and Nirro shoved Orrin off the seat into the isle, where he nearly fell on Rosie. "Nirro!" She huffed. He shrugged innocently.

"Oh, look. Three little mice and a big, fat rat!" Tiffany sneered at them. Orrin glared, and Nirro growled.

"Rat? Where? Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were talking about yourself," Rosie said mockingly.

"Why you little..." Tiffany reddened.

"Oh, don't do that. Red clashes TERRIBLY with pink!" Rosie pretended to be concerned. Tiffany's cheeks were nearly the color of Rosie's dark red stripes, and she was getting closer all the time.

"Why you..." She began. But Orrin and Nirro stopped her, as Orrin said,

"Hey, Nirro? Wanna play "catch the pink who and toss her in the mud"? We can toss her together," Nirro smiled mischievously, and nodded. Tiffany paled.

"Hey, there you go. White goes with pink," Rosie congratulated the agitated popular who.

"Alright, Nirro... Remember, catch, then toss...GO!" Orrin lunged forward. Nirro leaped over him and raced after Tiffany as she fled with an earsplitting shriek. Orrin scrambled to his feet and followed...

_**SPLASH!**_ Several minutes later, Jojo, Rosie, the bus driver, and all the kids from the bus, and more, were laughing at a distraught, and dirty, Tiffany Taffy. Orrin and Nirro high-fived one another, and Orrin said,

"Nice. Ya' know, you're not such a bad brother after all! Ow!" Nirro grinned, and Orrin rubbed his arm.

"You won't get away with this!" The angry pink (but mostly brown,) who fumed. She got up, but slipped and fell back into the muddy pond. Everyone laughed.

"Oh, _**Tiffany**_!" Stacey Store ran forward, reached out to help her muddy friend, and...

_**SPLASH!**_ Orrin and Nirro pushed her in. She came up spluttering.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Asked the principal, Mr. Eduwho, or as the kids called him, Bore-a-who.

"Tiffany slipped and fell in the pond, Mr. Eduwho. And Stacey tried to help, and fell in. And good old Orrin and Nirro were about to help these fine young ladies out," Said the bus driver. Orrin and Nirro grinned.

"Yeah, we were," And each held out a hand.

"We don't need your help," Tiffany scoffed. The two brothers shrugged, stuck their hands in their pockets, and strolled off to the school. Rosie ran after them, and Jojo ran after Rosie. Behind them, Tiffany and Stacey were desperately trying to get Mr. Eduwho to believe them.

"But, Mr. Eduwho..." Pleaded Tiffany.

"Now, now, Tiffany. You and Stacey don't have to lie to me. You're not in any trouble. I just want you to tell me the real story of what happened, without lying. Do you think you can handle that? After all... I am a principal, and principals must do what principals must do...Otherwise they're not principals. Just think of me as a Princey Pal, and don't be nervous. I'll listen," That was why they called him Bore-a-who. Some said he had murdered a young girl just by talking to her about how he got all his traits from different relatives. And it was highly likely. He was THAT boring.

"But we were telling the truth, Mr. Eduwho!" Stacey cried. He shook his head.

"I just can't begin to tell you how DISSAPOINTED I am in you girls. But I'll try," And a loud groan was the last thing they heard before running into the school, where everybody burst out laughed.

"Wow, man! Did you SEE them? They were filthy! And reasonable heavy, considering they probably starve themselves twice a month!" Orrin wiped a tear from his eye. Nirro nodded.

"I can't believe you two would DO such a thing!" Rosie said, hands on hips, dead serious.

"You mean you actually CARE about us throwing..."

"Not that! _**I**_ wanted to throw 'em in, too!" Even Jojo laughed. Soon, they weren't laughing, though, as they faced their teachers, all of whom were eager to give them as much homework as possible.

"Brutal. Can't they just give us a break? It's been one and a half days, and I've got so much homework, I'm gonna have a heart attack and be in the hospital for 3 days in a row, and my teachers'll have to pay the medical bill!" Orrin complained at lunch, gasping from the effort of hauling his giant, yet somehow full, book bag to his locker. Nirro grinned, but he was breathing just as heavily.

"Which teacher tortured you the most?" Rosie asked.

"The whostronomy teacher, that's who. We gotta go outside tonight, draw a map of every star, and label it, using the 5 books he gave us!" Rosie whistled.

"That sure is a whole lotta of work for one night. I have whostronomy next, so if I get the same assignment, I guess I'll be joining you. What do you have next, Jojo?" He handed her the notepad. "Whostory? You already had whostronomy?" He nodded.

"Wow! You did? When? Before us?" He nodded again. "Well, who would have guessed!" Nirro smiled as Orrin finally stopped talking. He looked relieved.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna meet all three of you under the stars. The whostronomy teacher gave me the same assignment," Rosie hauled the five books, _Whostronomy, Stars, Stargazing, Naming the stars,_ and _Following the stars,_ to her locker. "Well, I've only got choir and band left, and they probably won't give us any homework, at least," Jojo nodded. Orrin and Nirro had band with them, but not choir.

"I sing too good...People have actually said I sing like a canary!" Orrin boasted.

"No, they said you sounded like a _dying _canary," Nirro said softly, but smugly. Rosie laughed.

"Imagine that!" She joked. "But, it's just as well, 'cause I bet the choir teacher doesn't like dying canaries in her classroom! Or does she? Jojo..." He shook his head with a smile. "That's what I thought!" A few minutes later, Jojo and Rosie were sitting next to one another in the choir room. The teacher seemed to take note of this, and gave Rosie an approving look.

"Hello, class! My name is Musa Maria Merrywho. I am your choir, and for many of you next period, band, teacher. And I see a new student among us! Miss Rosie Terra Reeses, I presume?" All eyes turned to Rosie. She smiled. She liked this teacher.

"Yes, Mrs. Merrywho. I'm also in your band," She said cheerfully.

"Girl, we might not of had band OR choir yesterday, but I was sure by NOW you'd have realized who you're sitting next to!" A lavender colored who with a hot pink heart dyed on her middle said.

"You mean Jojo? He's my friend! And you know what? The two of us, and our good friends, Orrin and Nirro, were there when Stacey and Tiffany fell in the mud!"

"What? You were there?" Asked a dark blue who with deep purple hair. She had a black skull dyed on her middle, a lot of dull gold rings on her fingers, and a few dark necklaces around her neck. She was obviously Goth, and nobody messed with her. Her dark green eyes were watching Rosie.

"Yep. And they didn't slip. One was thrown, the other was pushed!" Rosie laughed. The girl smiled.

"By who?" She asked. "Ah, sorry. My name is Mara Moore. Call me Mar,"

"Whoever it was that threw and pushed those girls deserves a reward!" Mrs. Merrywho exclaimed.

"It was Orrin and Nirro. You'll see them next period," Rosie said with a smile. The lavender who said,

"I'm Lorissa Loud, and Orrin and Nirro should be punished!"

"Sorry. Mr. Eduwho's been told it was them, but he doesn't believe it. He thinks they were helping them back out!" Most of the class laughed, except the group who followed Stacey and Tiffany.

"Hey, I hear Orrin and Nirro want to start a private band. If you agree to join, me and Mono here," She reached over and pulled a dark brown boy closer to her, indicating who she was talking about. "Will join. That should be a start," Rosie smiled, as usual.

"Yeah, six would be enough! Thanks, Mar!" She chuckled.

"An enemy to those girlies is a friend to me," And she and Mono moved over to sit next to her and Jojo. The teacher was happy. Her favorite student had finally got some friends. And later, when class was over, Mrs. Merrywho called them over. She knew they were already IN their next class, so they couldn't be late.

"Now, I, for one, am GLAD you came along, Rosie. You've turned this school In the right direction! You're the first I've seen to befriend Jojo, and you already have five friends, from what I hear. You keep at it, girl, and take down those "popular" who's titles! And if you need some help, just ask me!"

"Mrs. Merrywho, you're a ROCKIN' teacher!" Rosie cried, hugging her. Mrs. Merrywho hugged her back.

"Thanks! Now, go take your seats, I believe Orrin and Nirro are here!" She went up to the brothers and said, "I'm proud of you, boys! You've taken those popular girlies down a notch!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Merrywho! It was our _**pleasure**_!" Orrin grinned.

"Oh, and you're friend, Rosie, recently acquired a few more friends for your personal band!" She gestured at Mara and mono. The brothers were wide-eyed.

"SWEET! Six is PLENTY! Rosie, you're AWESOME! You did in a day what we've been tryin' to do all SUMMER!" Orrin shouted. He and Nirro ran over and hugged her.

"Guys...Can't...Breathe..." She stammered.

"Oh... Sorry!" They let go, leaving her gasping for air.

"Geez, now I know how you threw Tiffany!" She gasped.

"Yeah, and pushing Stacey wasn't a problem!" Orrin replied.

"I'll bet. Poor girls. I almost feel sorry for them... ALMOST!" She grinned.

"Well, it's almost time for class, so go find an instrument and sit down," Mrs. Merrywho said. Jojo and Rosie took guitars, Nirro took a small drum, though he stared longingly at the large set in the corner, Orrin took a base guitar, and Mono and Mar just shrugged and grabbed the closest things, which meant Mar got a guitar, and Mono got a small drum like Nirro's.

"Hmmm... Seems like we'll end up with Rosie and Jojo singin', and Mar and Orrin rockin', and me and Mono drummin'!" Nirro exclaimed in his soft, scratchy voice. Rosie wondered how he'd sound tomorrow.

And class went on. They all excelled in their instruments, though some of the other kids didn't, and they all agreed Nirro had been right. And when they were done, and the bell rang, Mrs. Merrywho said,

"You're gonna have one heck of a band! I've never met a group who sounded so good together, and yet, could get along so well!" They smiled. "Well, what'll you call yourselves?" They frowned, looked at each other, and shrugged. But then...

"How about _Shadow Wings_?" Mar suggested. They stared at her.

"That's BRILLIANT!" Orrin practically screamed, hugging her. She pushed him away, glaring.

"You really like hugging people, don't you?" She asked darkly. He smiled nervously, and edged away. With a girl like her, you just couldn't be sure...

"_Shadow Wings_ is a GREAT name for a band! And, given the members..." The violet who smiled at them. "...It'll fit just right!" They glanced at each other. Yeah, they were all darkly colored, but it was more than that... They just WERE dark, all around. But not in a bad way...

"I may hate school, but with a teacher like HER to look forward to all day, I don't think it'll be half bad," Rosie exclaimed. They were on the bus, and since you could only have two people in a seat, she and Jojo were sharing, letting Nirro and Orrin share some "Brother Time", which was actually just another way of saying they were sometimes talking, but mostly making each other mad.

"Ow! Aw, come on, Nirro! Ow! I was just kidding! Ow! Can't you take a joke?" Orrin cried. Nirro shook his head, and punched his arm again. "Ow! Can't we talk about this?"

"Can't you two shut it? I'm trying to listen to my whopod!" Rosie complained, though she was laughing. "Mrs. Merrywho would be disappointed if the band fell apart because you couldn't get along!"

"Oh, it won't. Ow! We're just being brothers, that's all...Ow! Which means we act like we hate each other when we really love each other. Ow! CAN'T YOU STOP FOR JUST A MINUTE?" Nirro shook his head, and both brothers started throwing punches at each other's arms, not really wanting to seriously hurt the other. Rosie shook her head, chuckling quietly.

"Brothers! I'm lucky I don't have any!" Jojo smiled, and handed her the notepad.

_Brothers are nothing. You just try sisters! Oh, by the way, Heady misses you!_

"Really? Then I'd better visit! Or, better yet, you and Heady can come to MY house! My parents would love Heady! And I've already been to your house. It'd be good for you to get away from your sisters!"

"Hey, Jojo? You have 96 sisters, right?" Orrin asked. He nodded. "Would you like to trade them for my brother? Ow!" He shook his head with a grin. "Aw, come on! Oh well, it was worth a shot... Ow! And I guess I would've declined, too! Ow! STOP IT, NIRRO!" Nirro punched him again, but this time in the stomach. The two brothers nearly rolled into the isle as they fought.

"Oh, well. Looks like they don't want us to join the band. Too bad Mar and Mono said they'd only join if we did..." Rosie said. The brothers stopped, and sat up straight.

"We never said that!" Orrin exclaimed. "Of course you can join!" Rosie and Jojo laughed, much to Orrin and Nirro's annoyance. They frowned.

"Aw, come on, guys! I only said that to get you two to stop fighting! And look!" She made to put her hand in front of her mouth, widened her eyes, and gasped. "It WORKED!" She smiled as her who phone began to sing _Pocket full of sunshine_. "I changed the ring. That's my mom! I texted her when Orrin was trying to sell Nirro. Mom? Did you get my message? Oh, good. You did? Cool! We'll be there in a few minutes!" She hung up. "Jojo, your mom's bringing Heady over for my mom to coo over, and so she'll stop screaming for me, and you're getting off at my stop with me!" He smiled.

"Soooooooo, you two, huh?" Smirked Orrin, raising an eyebrow at her. She blushed.

"No way! What's WRONG with you?" She shrieked.

"Nothing! Why does the comment bother you so much? Because it's the TRUTH?" Orrin laughed, grinning. Jojo was blushing a little, now, too.

"Aw! Look! Two lovebird LOSERS!" Tiffany mocked, a smug look on her face.

"Hey, Tiffany! Watch it! WE might just get bored and decide to play with you again!" Orrin threatened.

"Yeah! So, Tiffany, how was the pond?" Rasped Nirro. She paled, and hurried off the bus.

"Just a few more stops..." Rosie said, as Orrin and Nirro got off at their house. When they finally came to Rosie's stop, the two got off and went inside.

"Hey, Mom! I'm home!" Her mother came out of the kitchen and smiled.

"Oh, good. You must be Jojo! I can't wait to meet your youngest sister!" Rosie's dad walked in.

"Ah, good! You're here! Listen, do you really have 96 sisters?" He nodded. "That ought to be fun! Why don't you talk?" Rosie quickly answered,

"Oh, he doesn't talk much, that's all," Her mother gave him a worried look.

"Are you sure he can?" She asked. Jojo tensed angrily, but didn't show it. Instead, he quietly said,

"I can talk," Her parents frowned, and her mother said,

"Oh. Well, run along then, they'll be here any..."

"No, no, we're here! Hi, I'm Sally Mcdodd. And you must be Cana and Keel Reeses. Nice to meet you!" She held out a hand to them, while holding Heady with the other. They shook it.

"Pleased to meet you, Sally. I see your son is a bit... Quiet. But he is Rosie's friend!" At the mention of Rosie, Heady lifted her head off her mother's shouldered, blinked, and saw Rosie.

"Wosie! Wosie! FEND WOSIE!" She screamed in delight. Rosie took the little girl in her arms, where she instantly stopped screaming, felt in her mouth, and said, "Tooph! With a TH! Member!"

"Oh, she's absolutely ADORABLE!" Shrilled Rosie's mom, Cana. Rosie handed her the little who, and Heady looked up at the women with a smile, babbling on about random things she knew (Somewhat) how to say. Rosie snuck away, and as Sally spoke to Rosie's dad, Keel, Jojo followed her.

"...And this is my room. I'd show you the kitchen, but those grown ups are still in the living room, blocking the way. Or, at least, MY parents are!" She'd taken her friend on a tour of the house, and now walked into her bedroom. The walls were dark, dark purple, and posters were tacked all over the place. There were posters of musicians, concerts, sayings, and even song lyrics.

"Wow," He thought, walking over to one of the posters. It began with _concrete angel_, and read,

_**She walks to school with the lunch she packed,**_

_**Nobody knows what she's holdin' back,**_

_**Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday,**_

_**She hides the bruises with the linen and lace,**_

_**The teacher wonders, but she doesn't ask,**_

_**It's hard to see the pain behind the mask,**_

_**Bearin' the burden of a raging storm,**_

_**Sometimes she wishes she were never born.**_

_**Through the wind, and the rain, she stands hard as a stone in the world that she can't rise above,**_

_**But her dreams, give her wings, and she flys to a place where she's loved,**_

_**Concrete angel.**_

_**Somebody cries in the middle of the night,**_

_**The neighbors hear, but they turn out the light,**_

_**A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate,**_

_**When morning comes, it'll be too late,**_

_**Through the wind, and the rain, she stands hard as a stone in the world that she can't rise above,**_

_**But he dreams, give her wings, and she flys to a place where she's loved,**_

_**Concrete angel.**_

_**A statue stands in a shaded place,**_

_**An angel girl, with an up-turned face,**_

_**Her name is written on the polished rock,**_

_**A broken heart that the world forgot,**_

_**Through the wind, and the rain, she stands hard as a stone in the world that she can't rise above,**_

_**But her dreams, give her wings, and she flys to a place where she's loved,**_

_**Concrete angel.**_

__"Hey, what're you reading? Oh... That," Rosie laughed. "It's a good song," She said, smiling. And for the rest of the day, she showed Jojo her things, ate dinner, and even sang a song.

"You're good," He had commented. She had blushed. She was glad he thought so. And when his mom came to pick him and Heady up, though Heady was already asleep, her own mom had told her it was late, and she needed to go to bed. And as she climbed into her bed, she glanced out the window. The observatory was silent. She sighed. The one that went there to make music needed sleep too, and she decided they were probably pretty tired. Still, she missed the beautiful sound. And as she looked at the now silent source of music, she thought,

"Soon, I'll go up there and see who it is that makes that music. Soon," And she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Mystery solved**_

"Jojo! You're up! Did you sleep well?" Sally asked. Whatever was wrong, he'd slept last night, that was for sure. He wasn't falling asleep where he stood, anyway. He nodded, and hopped into his chair. His sisters were all making some sort of noise, or it sounded like it, but that was expected with 96 gossiping girls put at one dinner table.

"Hmm... There's perks to getting up this early... And down sides," Jojo thought. He was at least 39 sisters away from his dad... Which meant he had some blessed time before the torture began. It also meant he wouldn't have the advantage of falling asleep as his dad talked...But he wasn't anywhere near as tired as before. "Maybe I'll go to the observatory every other night, just to be safe," He thought. "Yeah, that'd be good...But should I tell Rosie and the others?"

"Jojo! You're not eating at all! Are you asleep?" One of his sisters asked.

"Of course he's not asleep! His eyes are open!" Another said.

"Some people can sleep with their eyes open..."

"So? That doesn't mean _**he**_ can!"

"It doesn't mean he can't, either!"

"You're so stupid..."

"I am not! You're the one who still sleeps with a stuffed unicorn!"

"I do not! I threw that out ages ago!"

"Then how come it was hidden under the blankets in YOUR bed?"

"You were in my bed?"

"MY BED IS SIX BEDS ABOVE YOURS! I HAVE TO CLIMB UP AND DOWN PAST IT EVERY NIGHT AND MORNING!" The question had dissolved into a sister-to-sister argument before Jojo had a chance to reply. He sighed, watching the two girls.

"Should I tell my friends about the observatory?" He stopped. _Friends_... "Are they really my friends?" He thought, finally grabbing some food from the table before it moved. "Uh-oh. I'm only 7 sisters away from Dad!" He stared at the rapidly decreasing line in front of him.

"How was Rosie's family, Heady?" Asked Ned.

"Fend Wosie's Mommy vewy nice! Heady want visit again!" The little girl clapped her hands in delight. Sally smiled. When Jojo's time came, his mother gave him a curious look.

"So, what did you two do over there, son? Grand tour of the house, dinner, maybe just some time to kick back and chill?" He shrugged, not really wanting to think back to the visit, afraid he would get that feeling he'd gotten when Rosie sang. His Dad, however was thrilled to get a response, and hit him with a fresh new wave of questions, concerning everything down to the color of Rosie's bedroom wall, up to her favorite hobbies.

"She's an amazing singer..." He thought. "Maybe if I sang for her... Oh, no way! I don't hardly talk to her, even! Why would I sing? Besides, I'll just get that feeling, screw up and..." The chairs jerked, and he was forgotten. With a small sigh that no one else heard, he hopped out of his chair and headed for the hall that held pictures of all his ancestors. Looking up at the pictures, he whispered, "what's happening to me? Everything's changing...And yet I still have to be mayor? It just doesn't seem right..." For a brief moment, he almost thought one of the pictures winked at him. Meanwhile, at Rosie's house...

"Urgh! I can't stop thinking about him! Ever since I sang that stupid song last night, I've been getting these feelings, like I'm being electrocuted, yet all I want to do is scream and shout for joy! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" But, deep down, she already knew. And the truth scared her. It could ruin everything she now had, tear it all down... Or build it up to the most wonderful experience she had ever gone through in life... She just didn't know which, and that was what scared her. If only someone could just TELL her, instead of making her figure it out alone.

"Rosie? Are you coming to breakfast? What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Her mother called, her voice sounding closer and closer as she spoke.

"Uh...No, Mom! I'm coming! I just...Slept in, that's all! I didn't sleep good last night..." It wasn't a total lie... She'd been up late thinking about a particular who...

"Alright then...But hurry! You don't want to be late for school!"

"Okay, Mom!" In her mind, she screamed, "Get a GRIP girl! He's just a friend!" And, meanwhile, Mar, Mono, Orrin, and Nirro were walking to school together, since Orrin and Nirro had just barely missed the bus, which had come a little early that morning...

"Really? You two walk to school every day? THAT must be why you're so fit!" Mar and Mono glared at Orrin, and he cringed. "Alright, I get the message!"

"You know, we gotta get those two together," Mar stated.

"Who?" Asked Nirro, whose voice was normal now.

"Jojo and Rosie!"

"Why?"

"Come on, guys! Tell me you noticed the way he only smiles when he's with her, and she blushes every time he compliments her!" They all gave her blank looks.

"He compliments her?" Mono asked. Mar sighed.

"He hands her a notepad, she blushes and says, "You really think so? Thanks!" and you still don't understand? You guys are SO stupid! Oh, right... I forgot... You're GUYS!"

"Hey! You say that like it's a bad thing!" Nirro exclaimed.

"Well, duh! It IS!" She huffed.

"Oh, right, and being a girl is just Soooooooo great!" Mono rolled his eyes.

"Oh, look who's talking! You know, you're just a coward, and you're afraid to admit how dumb and weak you are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too! You're just a whiny little baby! Ha!" She smirked. He tried to punch her, but she grabbed his arm and twisted. His face screwed up with pain.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Please stop, please stop! I'm sorry! HAVE MERCY!" He screamed. She smiled, and let go. He recoiled, and retreated to walk next to Orrin and Nirro.

"Oh, you're just Soooooooo tough! I'm just Soooooooo scared! Wah!" She taunted, pouting and pretending to rub her eyes with her fists mockingly.

"Oh, stop it, you two! You were saying, Mar?" Nirro asked.

"I was saying those two aren't brave enough to get together on their own, so I think we need to give them a few gentle pushes. So, they supposedly both have amazing voices, and I talked to Rosie this morning, she says she sang for him, and he loved it. I hear Jojo's voice is even better,"

"So, you're saying we have to get him to sing?" Asked Nirro, catching on. "That won't be hard... We already agreed him and Rosie are the singers... And according to you, first band rehearsal, and... BOOM! They're together!"

"Well, not EXACTLY... We'll just help out behind the scenes, 'ya know? I'll try to keep Rosie from getting a boyfriend; you keep Jojo from getting a crush on another girl... But don't make it too obvious... And in the meantime, we beat up anybody that has a problem with them as a couple, or just as themselves... Got it?"

"Got it," And the four smiling friends continued walking.

"WHY weren't you on the bus?" Asked Rosie. "I couldn't shake Tiffany off until I got off the bus and told her to take a hike, since she's just so wimpy. I told her she'll need a lot of muscles if she hopes to get away from YOU two next time! She is just SO ANNOYING!"

"Well, that's why she's Tiffany the Tiny Terror. Skinny as a rail, strong as a piece of paper. BEWARE HER WRATH!" Nirro shouted. Mar chuckled, and Nirro looked pleased with himself. Even Jojo cracked up. Tiffany heard, walking by with Stacey, and glared at them. But with Orrin and Nirro there, the two didn't dare to mess with them.

"I'M TERRIFIED! HELP!" Shrieked Mar in her best girly voice, pretending she was scared. They laughed some more, and separated to their different homerooms. When lunchtime finally rolled by, the six friends sat together at a table.

"Oooooh... I have Soooooooo much homework!" Rosie complained.

"Yeah, me too! It SUCKS!" Nirro groaned.

"You said it," Mar frowned. She was sitting next to Nirro, who was on her right, and Mono, who was on her left. On the other side, Rosie sat with Orrin on the left, and Jojo on the right.

"Oh, I'm gonna have to ask Mom if I can bring a lunch! This is disgusting!" Rosie frowned. The others nodded their agreement. Mar smiled slyly.

"Hey, Rosie? Can I talk to you?" Rosie shrugged.

"Sure," She got up and followed Mar away. When they were gone, Orrin said,

"So, Jojo... Got a crush on anybody? Don't worry, we won't tell," Jojo jumped, startled, and looked at them. As long as they didn't know who... He nodded.

"Can we guess?" Nirro asked, kicking his brother in the shin under the table with a smile. He let out a small, painful gasp. Jojo nodded slowly.

"Alright... Does it start with an R?" Mono asked. He got a kick in the shins, too. Jojo stared at them. Could he trust them? Oh, well. He nodded again. Nirro leaned in with a grin.

"Is it Rosie?" He asked quietly. Jojo's eyes widened. He hesitated before slowly nodded. Nirro was smiling so hard, he looked like an idiot, and the others were slowly following suit. "Alright then. We said we wouldn't tell... Now I promise none of us will tell. Right, guys?"

"Of course! Wouldn't dream of telling!" Mono assured a still dazed Jojo, who had begun to glance curiously at Rosie and Mar, still standing in a corner a ways away.

"Me? Tell? No way! Hey, look! Whatever Mar asked her, she's blushing!" Orrin pointed at Rosie. Mar put her arm around the embarrassed who's shoulder, and walked back to the table with her, smiling all the way. Rosie was looking at the floor, as if it could help her.

"Hey, guys! Our little girl's got a crush!" Rosie's blush deepened.

"Why is she saying that in front of him? Some "reliable, trustworthy" friend SHE turned out to be!" She could feel the heat of a hundred fires radiating from her cheeks. Any minute, she expected Jojo to realize the truth, and hate her for it. But instead, he looked clueless, and began to blush. "Wait... He's BLUSHING?" She thought. "WHY?"

"Well, we'll all just have to wait and see who it is, now, won't we? Well, most of you. I already know!" Mar smirked. Orrin, Nirro, and Mono got it.

"Well, it's the same for Jojo, here! We'll never tell you!"

"Likes someone, does he?" Mar laughed. "I'm not surprised. Hey, did you hear..."

"Oh, man. Why did they have to say that? Hey, wait a minute... What's wrong with Rosie?" Jojo thought. He regarded the who with a look of concern. She noticed, and gave him a weak smile. He pretended to relax, but he wasn't good at it, and both who's could see through the other.

"Ah, the six I've been waiting for all day! Well, most of it. Some of you are in choir," Mrs. Merrywho smiled warmly at them. "Oh, and Mar... I'd like to see you at the end of band,"

"Yes, Mrs. Merrywho," Mar shrugged. When Jojo and Rosie weren't looking, she winked at the other boys. They smiled. It was going smoothly. At the end of class, Mrs. Merrywho said,

"Good! Good! You've all done wonderfully! And now, Mar, if you please?" Mar walked over as the class began to leave. "Oh, and Orrin, Mono, and Nirro, could you come, too? Jojo, Rosie, this doesn't concern you... They will meet you later, alright?" The two nodded, and left. "Now..."

"Mrs. Merrywho, I take it you got my text from before homeroom?" She nodded. "Good. As you've probably had no trouble whatsoever noticing, Rosie and Jojo so obviously like each other. Well, we want to help out, behind the scenes, if you will," Mar began.

"Yes, I understand. And I would be happy to help you out!" Mrs. Merrywho smiled.

"Sweet! That otta make our job a world easier!" Nirro smiled back.

"Alright," Mar said. "Here's the plan..." That night, as Rosie went to bed, finally finishing her homework and eating her dinner, she heard the soft music coming from the observatory. She looked up at it through her window, and thought determinedly to herself,

"Tonight is the night. Tonight is the night I go up there and find out who makes that music!"

And while her parents fell asleep, she readied herself to go to the observatory, asking herself how and when she would do it. "Right. I'll go now, and just look for the way they get up there. No big deal, right?" However, when she found the way up, she also found this was not the case.

"Oh, THAT is what I call a big deal!" She said, peering over the edge of the cliff. A rope ran across the gorge. She saw the contraption was used, and she had no choice in the matter. She began to climb the rope, hand in front of hand, out, and slightly up. She was relieved when she reached the platform, which reset itself, and stood, shaken.

"Oh, I doubt I'm ever gonna get used to that! Well, actually, it isn't that bad," She thought, once she had allowed curiosity to kill fear. "Hey, maybe fear is a cat!" She pondered this new take on the usual phrase. "Well, I might as well get this over with," She gulped, backed into the huge rubber band, and pulled the lever...

"Oh, great who's of the heaven, HELP ME!" She thought, fear gripping her as she shot up into the air. The platform was a giant slingshot. Well, actually, after the Horton incident, it actually was a very tiny slingshot... But, the lever had turned it from a 180% angle to a 90% angle. She was surprised to find the slingshot had been expertly placed so that one went at a slight angle, landing on the ground. She fell forward a bit, and didn't fight it.

"Now," She thought. "It's time to find out who plays that wonderful music," The door was boarded up, but someone hadn't shut it well. From far away, it made no difference, but here, she could see the smaller door cut into the larger one. It was just barely ajar...

"Here goes," Rosie thought. And she pushed open to door. As she was as short as Jojo, which was defiantly short, she fit through it easily enough. "_**JOJO**_?" He spun around, eyes wide with fear. "Why didn't you TELL me? This place is awesome!" He looked guilty. "Look at this place! Listen to it! It's incredible!"

The observatory was filled with instruments, some newly invented that she had never seen before, and all the ones Rosie had ever known. Bells, drums, kites made into violins... It was all there, and It took the breath away. Jojo smiled a little.

"I... I thought I would come every other night, now... I need a decent night of sleep every now and then, at least... Do you like it?"

"LIKE it? I LOVE it! Why didn't you just TELL me?" Jojo shrugged.

"I come here because it's the only place I can be what I want to be,"

"You don't want to be mayor, do you?"

"No," Rosie gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Has your Dad been up here?" He nodded.

"Not that recently, but he's seen a lot of this stuff..."

"And he still doesn't understand?" He shook his head sadly. "He's so stupid. It's so obvious up here! There have been lady mayors here before, why can't there be a first second oldest daughter? I'm sure your least youngest sister would want to be mayor! You shouldn't be forced!"

"But I am. That's just the way it works," She narrowed her eyes.

"Not if I can help it! We're gonna get the others and Mrs. Merrywho involved in this! Don't worry, though... I'll make sure they don't tell anybody else about this place! I mean, teachers are good at keeping secrets, and we're your FRIENDS! We'll never tell! Come on. You are NOT going to have to be mayor if you don't want to!" And she pulled him out of the observatory, completely set on her goal. It was on, and she wasn't about to fail.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Plans being made**_

"Rosie! Rosie, I'm _fine_, you're going overboard with this," Jojo pulled back from her grasp. She promptly grabbed his arm again, tighter, so there was no chance for escape.

"Oh, for the love of who, Jojo! You don't want to be mayor, and it's really nothing, okay? We're just going to help your Dad realize the truth. I mean, sure you can LIVE as mayor, but can you be happy as one?" Rosie looked him in the eye sadly. "Orrin, Nirro, Mar, Mono, Mrs. Merrywho, and me are your _**friends**_, Jojo. We're here for you, no matter what happens,"

"Well..." _Come on, what's the matter with me? She'll be happy if I accept. _"Okay. You guys can try to help me if you want to," Rosie beamed.

"Good! And, remember, we're friends... We help one another... Even if you wish we didn't,"

"Got it. Friends help each other, and tooth has a TH," They laughed, but then Rosie punched him on the arm, pretty hard. "Ow!"

"Learned that from Mar. She's a good friend... She doesn't tease her poor, defenseless little sister for saying "Tooph" instead of tooth!" Rubbing his arm, Jojo replied,

"Mar doesn't have a little sister!"

"That's not the point!"

"Well, what is?" He was hoping Rosie would forget about helping him now. But, no. Rosie smiled and towed him reluctantly outside.

"Alright... We're going down there to get the others to help you whether you like it or _not_, but first, reset this stinkin' contraption! It was really hard to get up here!"

"Oh... Right... Well, I guess I could spend _one _night angling the bucket so it goes back down... I can always make another pulley so I can pull it back up when I need it..."

"That's all good for the future and all, but let's get down first, okay?" Jojo nodded, and hopped into the bucket, and waited for her to get in, too. When she was in, Jojo opened his hand to reveal a rock. He aimed, and threw it. It hit the rock on top the large boulder that was held in midair by a strong rope, knocking it off, and bouncing into the gorge with it. Rosie managed not to scream as the bucket plummeted downward, instead whispering aloud to herself.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, No... WE'RE gonna die, we're gonna die..." Jojo smiled to himself. He knew she wouldn't admit it, but she was defiantly scared. "Well... That... wasn't so bad, I guess..." The bucket had stopped. Jojo smirked, and reached up to the rope that held them. Hidden next to it was a second rope. Jojo pulled it, and it took them a little closer to land. In two minutes, the pulley had left them on solid ground. He knew the bucket would now need a little weight to get it to go down again, where the boulder's main purpose was to lift it to the slingshot, so he left it where it was.

"Well... Did you enjoy the ride?" He smirked. "I built it myself,"

"Really? Well, it certainly was... Terrifying..." She grinned. "Amusement park roller coaster all the way! But I'm still set on helping you," He groaned.

"You know, that really isn't necessary..." She smiled.

"It is for me," She said, before grabbing him again and towing him toward her house. "I'm gonna call Mar, and let her get Orrin, Nirro, Mono, and Mrs. Merrywho. How does that sound?"

"Oh, it's just splendid," Grumbled Jojo.

"Aw, come on! It's not that bad!"

"How do you know?"

"Because I do!"

"That's not a real answer!"

"If you want a real answer, you ask someone else! You should know that by now!"

"By now? I've known you, what, three days, now, and all you can say is, by now, I should know not to trust you to say a real answer?"

"Yeah!"

"..." All was quiet for a moment. Then, "Tell me why you're my friend, again?"

"JOJO!"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture!" Rosie pulled her friend along after her, rolling her eyes. She WAS going to help Jojo, even if he fought her the whole way for it, because that was what friends did. They stood by one another, and helped whenever the other one needed it.

"Hello? Mar?" Rosie whispered into her cell phone at her house. She had left it in her room, and had recently gone to retrieve it.

"Hello? Rosie? What're you calling me in the middle of the night for, I... Is it about Jojo?"

"Well, yeah," Rosie admitted.

"Yeah, what?" Jojo asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"Oh. Good or bad, I have to know,"

"Good,"

"Good, what?"

"Is that him?"

"Yeah,"

"Yeah, WHAT?"

"Is he being clueless?"

"Yep,"

"Yep, WHAT?"

"Hold the phone up," She did, and Mar said, "Shut your mouth, Jojo, before I come over there and shut it for you. PERMANENTLY!" Jojo scowled. "Okay? Good,"

"It defiantly worked,"

"I'll bet,"

"Okay, I'm gonna make this short, and to the point. Jojo has to be mayor when he grows up, but he doesn't want to be, and we're gonna help him, even though he's not thrilled with the idea,"

"Got an "I don't need help" kinda attitude?"

"Pretty much,"

"And you want me to tell the others?"

"Pretty much,"

"You got it. I'm in,"

"Thanks a million, Mar,"

"No problem, Rosie. No problem at all,"

"'Bye,"

"'Bye,"

"Well, what'd she say?"

"She's in,"

"Aw, man!" She punched his arm, and he covered his mouth with his hand to keep from shouting. "Ouuuch!" He said, in pain. In about 15 minutes, all their friends knew. They met in an alley near the town square, where all but Jojo were excited to the point of bursting.

"Oh, man! This is gonna be FUN!" Nirro exclaimed.

"Yeah, sure..."

"Jojo! Quit complaining!"

"Leave him alone, Rosie. He doesn't have to like it; we're doing it anyway,"

"Yeah! Mar's right!"

"Nirro, let's get this straight... I'm _**always**_ right,"

"You're always right... Got it..."

"Good,"

"Nirro! She just told you what to do, and you_** listened**_! You _**never**_ listen! Not even to me!"

"Orrin, I listen to everybody _**but**_ you!"

"Stop arguing, guys! We need to think of a plan,"

"I'm good at coming up with plans,"

"Well, Mar, if you're so good, come up with one now!"

"I already _**did**_! Do you want to hear it or not?" They nodded. "Right. Jojo, do you think you can get your closest sister to help us? She'll get the mayor title if this works," He nodded.

"Lora would love to be mayor," Mar smiled.

"Good. We're gonna have to get your Dad to notice that she wants to be mayor, she'd be good at it, it would make her happy, and you would suck,"

"Thanks, that really makes me feel better,"

"Ignoring you, are we all in?"

"Of course!"

"I started it!"

"I haven't got much of a choice; I gotta keep an eye on Orrin,"

"HEY! I can take care of myself!"

"Yeah, _right_!"

"Guys, if you fight now, you'll wake everybody in Whoville up!"

"Rosie's right, guys, so shut your mouths,"

"He started it,"

"He started it,"

"I don't care who started it, I'M gonna be the one to end it!"

"Hey, I'm in, too!"

"Good, that's everybody,"

"Now what?"

"We get to work,"

"HOW?"

"Jojo's gonna have to go wake "Lora" up, and we're all gonna explain the plan to her. And part of the plan is getting Lora to act as if she's overexcited about all Jojo's Dad's stupid mayor things," Jojo looked a little more interested, and thoughtful.

"Lora IS overexcited, so she'll just have to show it. And there is something she can show interest in that might do the trick: The Mayoral Crest,"

"You mean that badge he wears a over the place?" Jojo nodded.

"Guys, my plan is perfect. We start now, so Jojo, go get your sister,"

"Fine, but I'm not going to enjoy this,"

"So you want to be mayor, with lots of paperwork, and no free time?"

"No, but I can live through that,"

"I heard mayors have to marry early, or the girls riot,"

"Err... On second thought, this is kinda fun!"

"That's the spirit!" A few hours later, Jojo came back with a beaming sister, a who with bright yellow fur, who was about to burst.

"I'm sorry, but... Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank YOU! I DO want to be mayor, it's just... Dad only notices JOJO when it comes to mayor stuff, and really, I'm the only one who cares to listen to him ramble on, I mean... No one else cares about getting to ride on the giant meatball..." Mar raised an eyebrow.

"Giant meatball?" She asked.

"Dad rides a giant meatball in the edible parade, remember?"

"Oh, right, the edible parade. What's the point of that, again?"

"It's fun!"

"_Right_..."

"See, I'M the one with the mayor like attitude and enthusiasm! I could be a good mayor, Dad just doesn't think the second oldest, not to mention, oldest GIRL can do the job!"

"That changes now, girl, 'cause my plan's gonna open his eyes. So listen, here's the plan..."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: Two plans in motion**_

The next day, much to the mayor's surprise, Lora talked so much, she only allowed her Dad to say one word when her turn came with him: Sure.

"Err, I didn't know you were so interested in memorizing all the former mayors' names, honey," Sally told the girl as she ran for the bus. Yelling, she asked, "WHY, DO YOU INTEND TO BE MAYOR?" At these words, Ned had said,

"She's second oldest, Hon. We've had women be mayor, but not second oldest. That's the way it's been since the beginning of time, since Whoville began! I can't let that change!"

"If change never happened, where would we be? There was the first mayor, the first man mayor, the first women mayor, and a first mayor for all the ages, colors, and personalities that exist! ALL mayors bring a sort of change to Whoville! Why can't there be a first second oldest mayor?" She replied.

"Well... When you put it that way... I guess I could see if she might make a good mayor, after all, she's interested. But Jojo's so smart, and I've already told him so many things..."

"...That he's probably ignored on purpose, as he isn't fond of the idea of being mayor,"

"What? No! No, I believe he's just holding in his excitement, you know, trying to act chill,"

"Dear, no one says those phrases and words of yours anymore,"

"Yes, they do!" Meanwhile...

"So, Jojo, how's the plan going?" He smirked, and gave her a double thumbs up sign. Rosie smiled. "See, we're good at helping! You know you don't really mind us helping, you just don't want to admit it!" He rolled his eyes. Now that he was in public, in the daytime, it was almost as if the previous night had never happened. ALMOST. Jojo had opened up a little bit, though he refused to say another word. Maybe later Rosie would be able to convince him to talk. But the time wasn't right. It never seemed to be.

"Hey, Nirro, watcha doing, texting your girlfriend?" Orrin teased. He was talking, of course, about Mar. Ever since Nirro had actually listened to what she had told him, Orrin was convinced he liked her, which he now mentioned.

"I do not li... Hey, she texted me back! See?" Orrin looked over, and a spark of interest flashed across his face and vanished.

"Oh, yeah, you **definitely** don't like her. You just worship her, and faint every time she talks to you," Orrin smirked. Nirro went to punch his arm, then stopped with a grin, and pulled back, quickly texting something. "Alright, what did you say?" Orrin asked.

"That you're making fun of me, but more importantly, her, and that you're super claustrophobic," Nirro smiled. That began another round of fists, and Jojo and Rosie shook their heads and looked away, Rosie down at her whopod, and Jojo out the window.

"You know, if you two don't stop, we can always move our first rehearsal to tomorrow instead of tonight," Rosie said, casually. The two straightened up immediately. Jojo chuckled.

"Man, that girl can do it all. She's just downright amazing!" He thought. "Not to mention cute, smart, and all around perfect... What am I _thinking_, she's just a friend!" At the very same time, Rosie was thinking,

"Oh, my gosh! He looks so cute like that! And last night, he really showed another side of himself! Oh, hold on! What is WRONG with me? We're just FRIENDS! And, besides, he'd never like me anyway. But, still! I just can't HELP it!" Aloud, she asked, "What did Mar say?"

"Oh, she just wanted news on the plan," In their minds, Orrin and Nirro, the one who had spoken, thought, "Both of the plans,"

"Oh, okay," Rosie dropped the subject as she noticed a familiar sign. They were close to the school. Rosie closed her eyes, enjoying the last song, and the blessing of the bus ride, the one time she had an excuse to sit so close to Jojo. They were small, but the seats were even smaller.

Secretly, Jojo was doing the same. He could hear the music coming from the earphones, though no one else could. Without thinking, he heaved a sigh, which caused Rosie to open her eyes, blushing, and looking like she had done something wrong. Of course, that made Jojo feel guilty, and made him blush, too. By the time the bus stopped, both cheeks were crimson.

Of course, when they got off, they found a fuming Mar waiting for them with crossed arms and narrowed eyes, looked scary enough, though the scariest part was the small, cruel smile playing at her lips. A nervous Mono stood next to her.

"Man, what did you DO, Orrin? She's boiling mad! I pity you, brother. She's got torture scheduled for you!" Orrin gulped, and gave Mar a weak smile, and chuckle.

"Err; you're not really gonna... Gonna..." She raised and eyebrow, looking amused. He gulped again, and turned to run, but Mar was faster. In minutes, a loud, frightened voice, accompanied by loud bangs against wood, could be heard echoing through the halls.

"PLEASE let me out, Mar! I didn't mean it! I'm gonna die in here! The walls are closing in around me! I'm suffocating! I'm being crushed! I'm going blind! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Orrin shouted. Mar had locked him in a closet as punishment, and was currently holding the door shut so he couldn't escape. As strong as the boy was, he just couldn't compete with the dark who. As Orrin slammed himself against the wooden door, trying to brake free, screaming at the top of his lungs, Mar could feel every vibrating move. She was smiling cruelly with satisfaction, as Nirro howled with laughter next to her. Suddenly, Mar pulled the door open, and Orrin flew out. He crashed into a wall, and the gathered crowd, which included Jojo and Rosie, laughed. At least she hadn't hurt him.

"Oh, poor Orrin!" Mocked some guys. "Beat up by a girl!" When Mar raised her eyebrows at them, they gulped and edged away. She smirked.

"You should all take Orrin's example. NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, mess with Mara Moore, AKA, Mar. Everybody got that?" One who stepped forward. He was an obvious bully, with no brains to speak of, but muscles that were used to make others suffer.

"No, I don't believe I do, MARA. I believe you're just a poor, weak little girl, and you can't do a thing to me!" Everybody gasped, nearly fainting in shock. The boy's girlfriend did, in fear.

"Now's my chance to do just that!" Mar growled, pouncing with the agility of a kitten, and the strength of a panther. She socked him in the face, momentarily shocking him, and kicked him hard in the shins, before spinning him around and twisting his arm behind his back. She leaned in and hissed, "Now what do you think, huh?" All he could say in reply was,

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Stop, stop, you're hurting me! Mara, STOP!" He let out a whimper as she twisted his arm farther, and said,

"Please, by all means... Call me Mar," She released him, and he fell to the floor, tears forming in his eyes, as the initial shock wore off, and the full force of the pain hit him full in the face. Nirro was beaming, and looking proud, as if he already thought of her as a girlfriend, and he was grinning at the bully on the floor, as if debating whether or not to run over and kick him, while he was still defenseless. After a moment, he did just that. And many others joined him. The bully gained 13 bruises, two black eyes, an emotional scar, and a lesson that day. After that, he stopped bullying all together, and even made a few good friends, which made him begin to slightly appreciate the actions of the dark who girl that beat him up.

"All right, all right! Leave him alone, you guys; can't you see he's had enough?" Mrs. Merrywho said, although she was smiling in a proud way, much like Nirro. Good for her, taking the stuck up who down. Bullies needed to be taught lessons even more than normal people, and yet, it seems they were let off, of course, only encouraged the rest of the kids to become bullies.

"Oh, my..." The girl who had fainted had woken up, though, seeing what a mess her boyfriend was, bloody, though not hurt too badly, she rather wished she had stayed unconscious. She promptly fainted again. Mar gave her a pitying look, and shook her head. The rest of the day was uneventful, resulting in a fresh load of homework, but not much else. Two plans were in motion.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: The first rehearsal**_

"Wow, did you hear what Mar did? She beat up a bully, you know, the one that beat you up..."

"No way! Wait, isn't Mar that girl that's just incredible in choir and band?"

"Yep! I hear she even joined a band, a private one!"

"NO! Who else is in it? They had better be good!"

"Oh, they are! Orrin, Nirro, the new girl, Rosie, Mono, yeah, I think he's over there... And, get this, JOJO Mcdodd!" The other girl gaped at her companion.

"WHAT? I mean, I hear he's amazing, but COME ON! He's the lowest of the low!"

"Not anymore!" The same topic was being spoken of by a group of guys.

"Yeah! She beat him into the ground, and his girlfriend was all like, "Oh, my gosh! NO!" and EVERYBODY ran up and kicked him, even me! I tell you, the girl is AWESOME!" The gossiping halls hushed as Mar, head held high, walked in, accompanied by Orrin, Nirro, Rosie, Mono, Jojo, and even Mrs. Merrywho, and separated. Mrs. Merrywho headed for her classroom, and the group split apart to their lockers. Kids went back to their conversations, and life on the tiny speck of Whoville, resting on a flower at the top of Mount Nool, continued to go on.

"LUNCH! FINALLY!" Rosie cried, running forward to hug the table, which caused several other whos to chuckle. The whole group had soared sky high in popularity, passed even Tiffany and Stacey, who were even more set on revenge than before. Whether or not it was just temporary was unknown, but no conversation, even between the teachers, was finished before some mention of Mar, and what she had done. Most of the teachers were either approving, or too shocked to say anything about it, so Mar didn't get in any trouble.

"Um, Rosie, you're kinda acting like... Rosie. In other words, you're being strange," Mono pointed out, half nervous, and half ready to burst out laughing. Rosie gave him a calm, almost sleepy look, still managing to look a little annoyed, and stated,

"I can hug the table if I want to, because I as of now claim it as my own!"

"Ah, yes, of course you do, you claim EVERYTHING as your own, you little rat!" Tiffany glared angrily at the girl. Rosie released her embrace on the table, and stood tall in front of Tiffany and Stacey, looking defiant. She gave the two a completely fake smile.

"Oh, how nice of you to join us, Tiffany, Stacey! To what do we owe this honor?" The two bristled, and Tiffany spat out,

"You owe it to the fact we're generous, and are willing to warn you. We'll get revenge, and we'll get it soon, just you wait and see! We'll show you, and we'll rise to the top again!" Jojo stepped forward, and quietly said,

"Just try," Two shocked whos stared wide eyed, and the rest of the group stepped forward.

"You sure you want to mess with my friends? 'Cause you'll look like that bully when I'm through with you!" Mar warned.

"And Orrin and I can throw you and Stacey into the pond again, if you like,"

"Yeah, that's it! You tell 'em, Nirro, brother!" The brothers gave each others high fives.

"I'd like to see you get past me! I'm not as strong as Orrin and Nirro, but I'm fast. You couldn't run from me, and I'd hold you down for them. You'd end up in that pond again!"

"Excuse me, but, Tiffany, Stacey, I happen to be a good friend of this group, and I couldn't help but overhear. You two, get revenge on these whos? I don't think so! Not while I'm around! And you should listen to your teachers, give them more respect. In other words, back off," Rosie smiled at Mrs. Merrywho. Tiffany and Stacey backed away.

"You think this is over? This is just the beginning! You're all going to suffer. And we don't care about you teachers! All homework from you, and you always help everybody but us! I'm sick and tired of it! I'm going to Mr. Eduwho, and I'm telling him to fire you!" To the pink who's frustration and surprise, Mrs. Merrywho laughed!

"Go ahead, girls! See if he listens to you, after the pond incident! He thinks you were lying then, so why would he believe you now? Go on your way, and leave my friends alone!" Snarling, Tiffany and Stacey spun as one on their heels, and marched off, their noses high, as if everything else around them wasn't worthy for them to even look at, let alone grace with their presence. Mrs. Merrywho sighed.

"I don't think that's going to be the last time we have to deal with them,"

"No, but you defiantly helped us there! You rock, Mrs. Merrywho!" Nirro high fived her. She smiled warmly.

"OH! Mrs. Merrywho, we're having our first rehearsal tonight!" Rosie leaned forward and whispered, "It's at the old observatory! You should see it! Jojo built it all, even the way up! It's BREATHTAKING!"

"That good, huh? Anything a TEEN considers breathtaking is too good to be true! When do I come? I'd LOVE to watch!"

"I KNEW you would! 10:00 tonight, we'll meet in town, you know, at the alley next to the candy shop? We meet there,"

"Oh, Who-Candy-Land? I know where it is. I'll defiantly be there!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Merrywho! You're the best!" She hugged the teacher, and her friend's followed suit... And when choir rolled around, Mrs. Merrywho beamed and winked at them. Rosie, Jojo, Mar, and Mono took their usual places, clustered together, and class began. When it was over, band started, and they were joined by Orrin and Nirro. Again, Jojo and Rosie took guitars, Orrin, the base guitar, and Mar the regular guitar. Jojo and Rosie wouldn't really be using anything but their voices in the band, as the band was already large enough, they didn't need to. Nirro and Mono took small drums, but Mrs. Merrywho smiled, and went to get a second set of drums from the special band and choir supply closet. Both boys were thrilled.

"SWEET! WE can practice on REAL drums! At school, too, not just at home! I'm sure glad Rosie said there's a couple of drum sets at the rehearsal area, I'm still not sure how they got them up there..." Nirro wondered. Mono nodded in agreement, but he was still staring wide eyed at the drum sets.

"Like I told you, Nirro... With a lot of small pieces, back and forth trips, a newly revised pulley system like no other, and an amazing musical genius who can build anything that makes music!" Jojo blushed, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I'll say! How do you build a drum set?" Jojo handed the handy notepad to Rosie, who read it and gave it back, smiling.

"He says, _**It's easier than a piano or guitar**_,"

"He can BUILD a guitar and piano? You were right! He IS a musical genius!"

"The very best in my classes, for several years," Mrs. Merrywho smiled proudly. (**That name gets old when you have to type it over and over again**!)

"Yeah! Hey, Mrs. Merrywho?"

"Yes, Orrin?"

"Can we just call you Musa?"

"Of course! I would love that!"

"Thanks! Musa's a whole lot easier to say (**And, thank goodness, TYPE**,) than Mrs. Merrywho,"

"I understand, a lot of people get tired of it... Though you're the first of my students to ask about it! Why didn't you ask last year? Or even the year before that?" He shrugged.

"Guess it just came to me. Everything changed when Rosie got here," They all nodded, even Jojo. ESPECIALLY Jojo. Rosie blushed, but once again, no one seemed to notice, or CARE.

After school had finally released them, the group headed home to get ready. At 10:00 PM, They all met up in the alley, and headed for the observatory.

"Oh, sweet mother of who!" Orrin peered down the gorge. "Now that is a LONG way down!"

"A straight plummet to certain death," Mono agreed.

"Well, let's get going," Rosie told them. Jojo and Musa went first, since the number was odd, and they needed to have at least a faint idea of what to do. Jojo returned, and took Orrin, and Nirro joined Mar, who said she could do it as well as Rosie, at least, and Rosie brought Mono.

"Well, now that you're here, prepare yourselves," Rosie warned. Jojo blushed. They all nodded, and entered the observatory.

"WOW!"

"HOLY WHO!"

"AMAZING!" Even Mar gaped at the sight. But they were even more surprised and impressed, if that was even possible, when Jojo got everything going... Kites flew, and Jojo practically everywhere at once. The song of heaven played once more. And for the first time, they saw their friend truly happy. Bells, drums, horns, harps, violins, it all sounded like it was there, when it was all really just an assortment of random items put together.

"How in who's name did you EVER manage to BUILD all this?" Orrin asked, as Jojo landed in front of them with a proud smile.

"I love music,"

"You ARE a musical genius!"

"Whatever you say. Aren't we here to rehearse?"

"Well... Yeah..."

"Then let's rehearse,"

"Fine," And they all found their instruments, except for Jojo and Rosie, who had microphones. Musa sat on the floor to watch. Rosie closed her eyes as the last of the music faded, and _shadow wings_ were ready to begin their own.

"Now, Rosie! Don't worry about the song, we'll decide them later," Orrin called. She nodded, and sang, letting the words flow like a river.

_**I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine,**_

_**I got a love, and I know that it's all mine, oh, wa-oh,**_

_**Do what you want, you're never gonna break me,**_

_**Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me, oh, wa-oh,**_

_**Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away,**_

_**Take me away, to better days, take me away, a hiding place,**_

_**I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine,**_

_**I got a love, and I know that it's all mine, oh, wa-oh,**_

_** Wish that you could, you ain't gonna own me,**_

_**Do anything you can to control me, oh, wa-oh,**_

_**Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away,**_

_**Take me away, to better days, take me away, a hiding place,**_

_**There's a place that I go where nobody knows,**_

_**Where the rivers flow, and I call it home,**_

_**And there's no more lies, in the darkness there's light,**_

_**And nobody cries, there's only butterflies,**_

_**Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away,**_

_**Take me away, to better days, take me away, a hiding place,**_

_**Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away,**_

_**Take me away, to better days, take me away, a hiding place,**_

_**Take me away, a secret place, a sweet escape, take me away,**_

_**Take me away, to better days, take me away, a hiding place,**_

_**The sun is on my side, it takes me for a ride, I smile up to the sky,**_

_**I know I'll be alright,**_

_**The sun is on my side, it takes me for a ride, I smile up to the sky,**_

_**I know I'll be alright.**_

Musa clapped, smiling brightly.

"Wonderful, Rosie, WONDERFUL!" She cheered. She blushed.

"It's your turn, Jojo! Same thing as Rosie, doesn't matter the song, we just gotta know what you sound like," Orrin called. He began to blush, took a deep breath, and sang:

_**Where is the moment we needed the most,**_

_**You kicked up the leaves and the magic was lost,**_

_**You tell me your blue skies fade to grey,**_

_**You tell me your passion's gone away,**_

_**And I don't need no carryin' on,**_

_**You stand in the line just to hit a new low,**_

_**You're faking a smile with the coffee to go,**_

_**You tell me your life's been way off line,**_

_**You're falling to pieces every time,**_

_**And I don't need no carryin' on,**_

_**Because you had a bad day,**_

_**You're taking one down,**_

_**You sing a sad song just to turn it around,**_

_**You say you don't know,**_

_**You tell me don't lie,**_

_**You work at a smile, and you go for a ride,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**The camera don't lie,**_

_**You're coming back down and you really don't mind,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**Well, you need a blue sky holiday,**_

_**The point is they laugh at what you say,**_

_**And I don't need no carryin' on,**_

_**Because you had a bad day,**_

_**You're taking one down,**_

_**You sing a sad song just to turn it around,**_

_**You say you don't know,**_

_**You tell me don't lie,**_

_**You work at a smile, and you go for a ride,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**The camera don't lie,**_

_**You're coming back down and you really don't mind,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**Sometimes the system goes on the blink,**_

_**And the whole thing turns out wrong,**_

_**You might not make it back, and you know,**_

_**That you could be well, oh that strong,**_

_**And I'm not wrong,**_

_**Where is the passion when you need it the most,**_

_**Oh, you and I,**_

_**You kicked up the leaves and the magic was lost,**_

_**'Cause you had a bad day,**_

_**You're taking one down,**_

_**You sing a sad song just to turn it around,**_

_**You say you don't know,**_

_**You tell me don't lie,**_

_**You work at a smile, and you go for a ride,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**The camera don't lie,**_

_**You're coming back down and you really don't mind,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**You had a bad day,**_

_**You had a bad day, **_

_**You had a bad day.**_

"You're AWESOME!" Nirro cried. "You BOTH are! And with us in the background, you'll ROCK!" Orrin rolled his eyes.

"They already DO, Nirro. But you two ARE great! Just wait 'till we play for a crowd!"

"I think I can arrange that. After all, I AM a choir and band teacher, right?" Musa, or Mrs. Merrywho, said, smiling.

"That'd be great! Thanks, Musa!"

"You're all very welcome," (**Send reviews about the songs they should sing! And tell me the one that should sing it! Maybe someone has one they can sing together...)** They all snuck back home, using the pulley to bring the bucket back up to them, and taking trips, which took awhile, and as each climbed into their beds, they all thought one thing:

"What a great first rehearsal!"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: First attack**_

"We ROCKED last night! You two did GOOD!" Orrin congratulated, when Jojo got on the bus the next morning.

"Yeah! When we play, the whole crowd's going cry, laugh, and cheer at one time! THEY'LL BE BREATHLESS!" Nirro cried. A few people turned to stare at him, and he blushed and sheepishly leaned back in his seat, as if he wished he were invisible. He took out his phone and began to text Mar.

"You know, you might as well ask her out, you already text her 24-7," Orrin told him. He grimaced, but brightened as he read her reply.

"Well, it's not that easy. I have yet to see YOU ask someone out, and most girls aren't even as tough as her! What if she hates me for asking, and knocks my teeth out?" Orrin shrugged.

"It's a chance you have to take. Better you than me. But if she does, I'm not feeding you soup with a straw," Nirro ignored his brother for once, and began texting again. Rosie rolled her eyes.

"Well, you guys are normal today. Everybody is, so far. So, when are we deciding what to sing? I'd like to learn the words early,"

"We can't really decide until we know about what's going on with the concert, you know, if we hardly have any time, it wouldn't do to have 6 songs. Besides, we don't even know when the concert IS," Orrin replied. (**And I'm not posting the concert chapter until people review and tell me at LEAST four songs I can use!)**

"All right, but after school today, we talk about it," Rosie pouted. "Unless, of course, something important happens,"

"Fine. Let's shake on it," Orrin and Rosie reached out and shook hands. As the school finally came into view, and the bus finally pulled in and stopped, Tiffany sneered at them.

"Oh, something important WILL happen today, just you wait," She thought. Aloud, she said, "Oh, I feel SO, like, sorry for you! Still hanging with all the losers, when you should be at the top, like Stacey and me! It almost makes me want to help you, but then I think about who you are, and realize, you don't even deserve my pity!" Rosie stood up, faking happy shock.

"Oooooh, Tiffany, you're getting BRAVE! Orrin and Nirro are right there, and Mar and Mono will be waiting for us, and maybe even Musa!"

"Who's Musa?" Asked Tiffany, with a blank look.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you knew. Mrs. Merrywho, the choir and band teacher? The one who helped us out yesterday?" Tiffany cringed.

"Even stupid teachers are going to learn their lesson soon enough! NOBODY messes with Tiffany Taffy!" Rosie nodded, pretending to agree.

"I know! Stacey said the same thing when I first met her! It's because you two will cry and run to your mothers if someone does! And who on the speck of Whoville would ever want to make sweet, innocent Tiffany and Stacey cry? Only the cruelest of the cruel, that's who!" Tiffany glared at her, then continued down the isle as an impatient boy pushed her.

"Move it, girly!"

"Don't push me!" Tiffany smoothed her fur and left, clinging to what was left of her dignity with all her strength. She hated Rosie. Hated her for a hundred different reasons. She was always so controlled, so smart, so pretty, so popular in such a short time, she wasn't afraid, she had so many friends that didn't care who she was, that had been her friends since before she'd become popular, where Stacey was the only true friend SHE had, Rosie was just... Perfect. And that bothered Tiffany to no end. "We'll see who's better... And it WILL be me!" She grumbled.

"Geez, can't she just leave us alone? We haven't done anything to her..." Rosie frowned. Jojo handed her the notepad. _**Unless you count getting more attention and popularity than her something, then we have! **_Rosie sighed. "Yeah, that must be it. She really likes to know she's on top, doesn't she? Oh, well... That's just her opinion,"

"Well, yeah, she can be mad, but bother you, my friends? NO WAY!" Mar scowled. They had told her about Tiffany, and she was MAD. "If she doesn't leave us alone, I swear, I'm gonna beat her to the ground! She can cry and whine all she wants; I'm not letting her mess with my friends!" She folded her arms in protest.

"Aw, calm DOWN will 'ya? It's not like SHE can hurt us!" Orrin said. "And she can't exactly outsmart us," Mar glared at him.

"She can still be annoying. You've seen how she can get! And she has a lot of followers, who KNOWS what they'll do just to stay on her good side?"

"Yeah, well, her followers aren't very smart, either,"

"Neither are you,"

"Hey!" Rosie rolled her eyes with a smile. With choir and band to look forward to, today was going to be long... And it was. As each period rolled by, she found herself staring at the clock more and more. When lunch finally came around, she only just managed to relax.

"Rosie? Rosie? Rosie, are you AWAKE in there?"

"Huh?" She blinked. Mar was waving her hand in front of her face, looking both amused and concerned at the same time. "Oh... Yeah, I'm just a little... Anxious..."

"What do you mean, just a LITTLE? You're spacing out, you're eating way too slow, and you're tracing words on the table!" Orrin cried. She blushed. Luckily she hadn't had a pen or pencil, as you can just imagine what random things she'd drawn. (**Or names! One in particular...)** She tried her hardest to focus after that, but couldn't. Eventually she gave up, just as choir came around... And Musa said to wait. With a sigh, she took her seat.

"Now, class, we're having a concert soon, in three weeks, on Thursday. We will be singing before the band, after which a PRIVATE band will play. Any questions?"

"Yes, Mrs. Merrywho. What is the band called? Who's in it?"

"They are called _Shadow wings_, and the member's names are Rosie Reeses, Jojo Mcdodd, Mar Moore, Mono Flight, And Orrin and Nirro Minnow. Any other questions? No? Alright, then. On with class," She repeated the speech in band, and Rosie was able to concentrate, now that she knew. Still, that victory was short lived, as she became anxious, though not as much, over what songs she would sing. Meanwhile, skipping class, was a group of trouble...

"So, you all know what to do, right?" Tiffany asked, Stacey at her side. They nodded. Six tough looking characters stood before them. Four guys, bullies, most likely, and two girls, who were not really strong, but were fleet of foot, and ready to fight. "Good, because we're probably not going to give you a second chance at this. School will be over soon, too soon, and I want you to do this right. Now go! We can't risk suspicion," They reluctantly agreed, and scattered to their usual wandering ways, which wasn't right, but common enough. Now all they had to do was wait, and popularity was theirs...

"FINALLY! We're FREE! Now we can decide what songs to do!" Rosie cried. They were all walking as a group toward the park near the school, where a playground was slowly beginning to fill. They had it arranged so that their parents would come for them in a few hours. But as they got out of sight of the school, six kids stepped out of the bushes. They were grinning, and the four guys were cracking their knuckles. They two girls laughed, standing ready to run.

"You won't be in good enough shape for your little concert, I'm afraid. We have orders, and those orders demand that we have you in the hospital! And if that doesn't stop you, we'll do worse, much worse," The leader bluffed, smiling triumphantly. Mar stepped forward.

"Oh, yeah? I've dealt with guys like you before!"

"Yes, but we won't fall so easily. GET THEM!" The two girls began to dance around Mar, laughing and darting at her with their fists, giving her many light bruises. At the same time, they drove her away from the group, while avoiding the girl's fists. They just needed to get her away from the group for a little while... The four guys had rounded on Mono, Rosie, Jojo, Orrin, and Nirro. Jojo leaned over and whispered quickly into Rosie's ear, and she passed it on to the others. They nodded.

"So, who sent you? You don't seem so tough to me!" Rosie taunted, distracting them while Nirro and Mono slipped away to Mar, where Mono was able to catch on of the girls and hold her still for Mar, while Nirro managed to take the other by surprise, spinning them around and smacking them on the back of the head. She crumpled to the ground next to her friend.

"I thought you couldn't hit girls?" Mar teased. He smiled back.

"They were a different breed, it doesn't count," The three turned and ran back to help Rosie, Jojo, and Orrin. They had so far been able to taunt the four guys into a rage that was quickly tiring them out, while they played defense, dodging and running. They were paying too much attention to them, and didn't notice Mar until it was too late. She punched one in the face, instantly knocking him out cold. His nose bleed onto the ground as she went for the remaining three. Two came at her from different directions and ducked, knocking themselves temporarily to the ground. Orrin and Nirro pounced on them, and Rosie and Jojo managed to trick the last bully, the leader, into turning his back to the other four.

Mar and Nirro snuck up behind him, and Rosie and Jojo gestured to them. The leader turned, and was met with two fists at his face and shoulders, and a kick to his stomach. He fell to the ground, and Mar kicked his unconscious body with a look of disgust before turning to high five Nirro, and give him a hug, from which he nearly fainted. A limo pulled up, and luckily, only Jojo's parents and Lora were inside. Sally ran forward, tears streaming, to Jojo, while his Dad just stared in shock at the bodies. Lora was shocked, too, but she was in complete control.

"Alright, everybody, in the car," She took out a camera and snapped a few pictures. She left a note on the ground next to the leader saying she would put the picture on the internet, showing them beat up by two girls and four guys, if they bothered her brother and his friends.

"Wow, Lora, you seem to have it all under control... A great quality for a mayor to have. Maybe you'll become one someday. It depends on you and Jojo, though, so don't get TOO excited..." Ned complimented his daughter. She beamed, as did Sally, and Lora, Jojo, and the others exchanged looks. It was going perfectly!

"This isn't going to be their last attack," Mar said, wiping a little sweat from her forehead. "I can just feel it. They'll try again, and next time, who knows? Hopefully, we'll be ready for them. It won't be such a shock next time. Who do you think would send them after us like that?"

"Tiffany, of course. She hates us. And, no doubt, she and Stacey only sent them as a taste of what they can do. There was only five of their followers there; they've got a good number more. It's only a matter of time before they get us," Rosie groaned.

"Tiffany and Stacey? Who are these girls? They defiantly are on MY bad list if they sent those goons after you," Sally frowned.

"They were the most popular two girls in school, until we came along. I'm not sure why they hate us so much, though, when being friends with us would serve them so much better," Rosie explained. Sally nodded, looking grim.

"Yes, some girls were like that in school when Ned and I were your ages. I'm certain you're right... They've probably got an army's worth more followers to toss at you. Please be careful! This is serious!"

"Yeah, we know. The best chance we have is to try to make friends with them, or make it up to them, at least. And in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to try to get a few friends of our own to look out for us..." Rosie trailed off in thought.

"Well, first things first, we've gotta survive to our next concert, 'cause we can't play if we're hurt, and what would people think of us if we couldn't play? That's probably what Tiffany and Stacey want," Orrin remarked. They all nodded their agreement. And so the first attack was over, and things were beginning to look very, very bad...


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Choices**_

A weeks flew by, the weekend was short. The group kept an eye out for any more of Tiffany and Stacey's followers. From the disappointed looks on their faces, it was clear they had sent the five, which had begun to attend class more often, in case Mar decided to skip class just to teach them another lesson. Of course, they knew she would have to bring her friends to get them, but that didn't matter. The way they saw it, they were beat by a girl, and they would lose more than just the chance at popularity and the little honor they had if they messed with her again.

That was just as well to them. They had only managed to decide on two songs out of the four they were planning on doing in the concert, and those songs were _Kids in America_, and _Bad Day_. (**Thanks, JainaZekk621!**) They quarreled a little about other songs, but weren't able to reach a decision on the others. Still, they had to try to figure them out; they only had two week left now!

"_Pocket full of sunshine_!" Rosie pleaded.

"No, way! We need something different! _Bad Day_ is an exception! We all agreed on that! Besides, you and Jojo picked _Kids in America_, now the rest of us need our opinion!" Orrin argued. It had gone back and forth between all of them what to decide.

"Guys, we have a kinda slow song, a kinda fast song, and now we just need a slow song, and any random song to fill in the rest of the time! We need to include something for everyone in this! Musa says if we're good, we might get to play at dances, and other concerts! Maybe even a concert of our own! We want to please as many people as possible!" Mar reminded them. (**Yeah! And I don't know many songs! You have to review and help me! I'll look up the lyrics, just PLEASE suggest SOMETHING!**)

"Well, well, well! The little loser herself! You're, like, not getting away from us! You KNOW we sent those guys, and they were hard enough to get past, weren't they? Just think what we could do to you!" Tiffany said, Stacey with her.

"Yeah, we figured it was you. But, we haven't done anything to you! Why are you going so far out of your way to get us?" Rosie asked.

"You ruined EVERYTHING! (**Like Stitch!**) WE were on top, WE were the most popular, WE were all that, and you took it from us!"

"If its popularity you want, TAKE it! I don't care! Who wants to be popular, anyway? People dogging you, never a moment of peace, gossip flying, you can HAVE it! But I don't think that's the only reason you hate me!" Stuttering in shock, Tiffany's mind was reeling. She didn't WANT to be popular? She would GIVE it away if she could? Why? She stopped, and tears sprung to her eyes as she cried,

"I hate you because you're YOU! You're smart, people like you, you're always so nice, and... And... YOU'RE JUST SO PERFECT! IT ISN'T FAIR!" She turned and ran. Stacey was almost as shocked as everyone else, but she'd known already what her friend felt.

"Tiffany, WAIT!" She ran to catch up with her. Rosie was frozen. HER, perfect? That was crazy! Jojo was thinking otherwise, though.

"That's what I've been thinking! How strange, that someone else would tell her first? There'll probably be guys that think that, too," He saw how Rosie was feeling, and handed her the notepad. More from habit than focus, she read it. It took a moment for her to understand it.

"Yeah, people always DO think others are better than them, but PERFECT? Why would she say that?" Rosie asked, absent mindedly handing the notepad back. He shrugged, but a faint blush appeared as he mentally agreed with the popular who.

The rest of the day was chaos. EVERYBODY wanted to hear about this event from the point of view of the witnesses, especially Rosie herself. She eventually locked herself in a bathroom stall, plugging her ears with her whopod, on full blast, and closing her eyes. Unable to hear the pleads and see the feet of the girls, Rosie managed to relax. Musa understood, and gathered the remaining assignments from the rest of her teachers, and, using one of those open-every-locker-in-the-school keys, put them in her locker.

"Mrs. Reeses? Your daughter has had a... Run in with a popular who girl, and the argument has left her a bit... Out of it... With shock. I'm afraid you will have to pick her up. The same girl rides her bus," Mr. Eduwho said, on the phone.

"Is it really that bad? I mean, do you really think this is necessary?" She asked worriedly. She'd been told by Sally about a girl and her friend that had sent a group of bullies to attack Rosie and her friends, and this could be the same girl.

"She's locked herself in a bathroom stall for hours, and the girls that followed her claim they can hear her whopod, and she's probably closed her eyes. Mrs. Merrywho, the choir and band teacher, got her work together for her, but no girl can get her to come out, let alone convince her to leave the school. I'm afraid she may refuse to return,"

"Oh! Did you punish the other girl? This sounds serious! A group of five bullies attacked her and her friends, and they have reason to believe they were sent by two girls by the names of Tiffany and Stacey,"

"Tiffany was the other girl, and I'm not so sure she and Stacey WEREN'T the ones to send those bullies. But we didn't punish her. She's almost as shocked as Rosie. But because they were her words, I think they were less effective on her. Apparently, she went into a rage on why she hates your daughter, and she called her perfect,"

"She's as close as you can get! Then again, she's my only daughter! Of course I think that! She always WAS modest... Was there anyone there that might have pushed her even farther?"

"No, just her friends. The last one to successfully communicate with her was Jojo Mcdodd, the Mayor's son,"

"I KNOW WHO HE IS!" She snapped, annoyed. "HE WAS ROSIE'S FIRST FRIEND! Why haven't you sent HIM in to get her?"

"Madam, SHE'S LOCKED IN THE GIRL'S BATHROOM!"

"Alright, alright, I understand. I'll come," When she arrived, however, Rosie was still locked away. "Rosie? Sweetie, we need to go home now. School's out. Please, come out," The whopod played on. "ROSIE REESES! YOUNG LADY, GET OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT!" The music stopped, and a sigh was heard. Rosie opened the door. "There, see? That wasn't so bad, now, was it? Come along, now," Rosie followed her mother, looking blank.

"Ah, good! You've gotten her out! Mrs. Merrywho, here, wishes to speak with you," Mr. Eduwho gestured to the teacher. She and Mrs. Reeses exchanged nods.

"I have postponed the concert until Rosie has gotten back together. After all, she and her band are the main attraction of it. Mr. Eduwho and I have arranged for Rosie and her friends to have a group sleepover at Mar's house, Mara Moore, for a period of three days. I will personally bring them all their work, and they can all help your daughter. We hope she'll be herself after that. Her friends just... Have a WAY with her, if you understand what I'm saying," Mrs. Reeses nodded.

"Yes, I do. You've been such a help, I don't know WHAT I would do without your help..." She noticed Jojo and the others standing a ways away. "And yours, too. I hope you can help her,"

"We will, Mrs. Reeses. We defiantly will. She'll be at my house, won't she?" Mar stepped forward. "We'll fix her up, just you watch! With all of us, she CAN'T stay like this!"

"Thank you. I'll drop you all off at Mar's house, and you can call your parents to bring your things..."

"Already done, Mrs. Reeses. Their things are already at the house," She nodded. When the pulled up at the house, Mar's parents, Kayla and Max Moore, rushed out to them. They were surprisingly bright furred, compared to their daughter. Max was light blue, and Kayla was light pink. They were also fairly cheerful, trying to pretend it was a normal get together in the hopes it would help. It obviously didn't.

"Yes, yes, the girls are sleeping on the bed, the boys are on the floor, you bring Rosie's things, and she won't need much, just gather anything she might need. I'll make sure they all do their homework, don't you worry!" After Mrs. Reeses got home, she searched her daughter's room. She brought cloths, and several of Rosie's favorite things. Then, she left them at Mar's, and went to tell Mr. Reeses the news...

"Alright, everybody, that's the tour of the house, now we go to my room! And, boys, don't TOUCH anything!" Mar opened the door. It was like a cross between Rosie and Jojo's rooms.

The walls, and door, on both sides, were black, and the ceiling was a deep blue, with dots of white and an array of other colors, like the night sky, with stars and planets. Real summer constellations were there, along with a red mars dot. Posters of music and pictures of bands were all over the wall, the lighter ones standing out. In one corner, a drum set and several different guitars leaned up on the wall. The closet was almost empty of clothes when Mar opened it, but it was full of an assortment of other things, ranging from a whopod, to a medal from a former wrestling team.

"WOW, Mar! Look at all this! Rosie otta be normal within the next DAY with this!" Orrin said. She glared at him.

"STUFF isn't going to make her feel better, WE are. And once we figure out the songs we're gonna play, we can practice them. Rosie won't have to sing until she's better, but WE can practice. At least ONE of our singers is still able to sing!" Jojo shrugged.

"Yeah, well, let's practice the songs we've already gotten after we've gotten our stuff put away. We can put off bed stuff until later, but or bags can at least be put somewhere out of the way," Nirro suggested. Mar threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"FINALLY! Someone with common SENSE!" Orrin looked like he wanted to say something about Mar and Nirro as a couple, but obviously didn't want to be knocked out for the entire "break" they had from school. He was making the most of it.

"Well, now that our stuff's away, let's practice," Orrin said. All but Rosie found their instrument (or voice,) and began to play. Mar's parents were used to her playing, but with all of them, the heavenly sound had them irresistibly drawn to the room to watch. When they finished, Mar's Mom remarked,

"Assuming Rosie's just as good, and this is just practice, that concert, you'll have the entire SCHOOL as fans!"

"Yeah, I only wish TIFFANY and friends would like it. Maybe they wouldn't hate us so much," Nirro sighed.

"Yeah, then they wouldn't be trying to put us in the hospital," Mar agreed. Orrin pouted, as nothing he said seemed to work for Mar, but his brother was the opposite.

"Why anyone would EVER want to hurt you kids, I don't know. Well, dinner's ready, so after you eat, how about we watch a movie together, all of us? Then You can all get ready and go to bed, or at least, lay in bed and talk," Mar grinned.

"Mom, that sounds GREAT! Doesn't it sound great, Rosie? Come on, it'll be fun! Just try it! It's one of my Mom's famous antidepressant and anti-stress methods! Some food, then popcorn and movie with friends and family, a glass of warm milk, and let you enjoy your own private sleepover!" Rosie nodded, with a faint smile. She wasn't depressed, just... Confused. She couldn't think about anything else, so she couldn't function. Tiffany, JEALOUS of her? Impossible!

"Well, what does Rosie want to watch?" Dinner was over, and Mar's Mom was trying to break up the argument over movies. Rosie was smiling faintly, but still too thoughtfully, and eventually, they decided on something to watch. An hour and a half later, the sky had gotten dark, the popcorn was gone, Rosie was somewhat... Rosie, and the non-lit room grew even darker as the credits rolled past, and movie-related music began to play. It was a DVD, so they didn't have to rewind it. The boys laid out their sleeping bags, and the girls got into the bed. It was huge, king sized, so they had no problems. And the room was spacious, and spotless, so the boys didn't have any problems, either.

"It'll be cool, sleeping in here, with the ceiling like the sky," Mono remarked. (**I almost forgot about him!**)

"Yeah, my cousin did that. He said I'm a free spirit, and I shouldn't have to sleep in this cage," Mar leaned back with her arms folded behind her head, and stared at the ceiling. After about an hour of talking, Mono fell asleep. They knew because he began to snore and name of candies. Mar threw a pillow at him, and he grew quiet. Orrin was next, then Mar, then Nirro, and Jojo got up and turned out the light. After 15 minutes of tossing and turning, he heard Rosie ask,

"Is anyone else awake?"

"Yeah,"

"Jojo?"

"Who else?"

"I still don't understand. No one is perfect, and Tiffany, of all people, called me that," She said softly. "Why would anyone do that?"

"She's jealous, and she wishes she were you. Maybe it is confusing to you, but not to me,"

"I still don't get it,"

"You don't have to. Just go to sleep. Maybe your "dream Tiffany" will explain it,"

"Alright. Thanks, Jojo," She chuckled.

"Anytime," Under his breath, he muttered, "She was right, though, for once," Rosie caught it, and blushed. Jojo would've, too, if he knew she'd heard. He fell to sleep quickly. Rosie joined him, thinking about all the choices she had to make.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: Back-To-Normal-Sleepover**_

"Rosie, wake up! It's time for breakfast! Come on, girl, wouldn't want to miss my Mom's cooking!" Mar chuckled as Rosie slowly opened her eyes, trying to make sense of the blurred world around her. As her mind cleared, she remembered Tiffany's words. She sat up.

"Did Tiffany really say that? Or was it just a really, really realistic dream?" Mar shook her head with a smile.

"No, she really did call you perfect. You didn't need to lock yourself in a bathroom stall, though," Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Rosie shrugged.

"It was the best way to get rid of all those whos," Mar laughed again.

"I know, I'm just teasing. It's good to have you at least SOMEWHAT normal," She grinned. "Come on, I'm starving," (**This is the last chapter before the concert,)** Rosie swung herself around, and followed her friend to the kitchen, where the table was full, but for one seat beside Mar and Jojo. On Mar's other side was Nirro, across from him, Orrin, and next to him, Mono. At one end, Mar's Mom sat watching the others faces as they ate. Her husband sat beside her, just a little ways from Mono.

"So, Rosie, you look almost normal today. With a day to calm the nerves, and another, just in case, you'll be good as new!" She winked.

"It's not just me, everybody helped. Especially Jojo," Everyone glanced surprised and curiously over at the dark who, who was slowly reddened. Rosie, realizing what she'd said, blushed, too. (**Don't you just hate it when you say something the wrong way, and it makes everybody get the wrong idea?**)

"Well, it's just a Back-to-normal-sleepover, then. We might as well take advantage of it!" Mono jumped up. (**Sorry the chapter took so long!**)

"Oh, no, you don't. Mrs. Merrywho brought your homework for today this morning, and you still haven't done yesterday's homework. After that, since everybody knows you're out of school for Rosie, you can go downtown, or to that park you were headed for when those kids got in the way. They probably won't strike from the same place twice," They groaned about the homework, but they'd known they would need to get it done sooner or later, anyways.

"Yeah, alright, Mom. I guess we can't just sit at home and do nothing," Mar got up. "Where's the papers?" Her mother pointed to a stack on the counter. Mar went to get them. "GEEZ, how much homework do they have to ASSIGN?" She asked, looking at the pile with huge eyes. She began to separate the different who's homework, but each pile alone was tall enough.

"Now THAT is a lot of homework!" Nirro stared hopelessly at his stack.

"Hey, if all of us helps each other on ONE persons homework, then we'll finish even faster than a NORMAL stack, and the rest of us will just copy off of it, if we agree," Rosie suggested. Everybody stared at her. Orrin glanced over at Jojo, and said,

"Jojo, she's an EXACT female clone of you, ignoring the differences on the outside! That's a BRILLIANT idea!" Rosie and Jojo both turned redder, and Rosie felt as if the sun where mere inches from her face. Trying desperately to cool off, she gave her breakfast all her attention, and slowly felt her cheeks return to their usually color.

"Hey, I'm done. Let's get to work!" Nirro hopped off his chair, and grabbed his stack. He and Mar took their school papers into the living room. Actually, Orrin and Nirro were fairly smart; they just were always doing something crazy, so people tended not to see this, paying more attention to their antics. (**Reminds ME of Crash and Eddie, from Ice Age!**)

"Me, too," Mono followed them. Jojo silently slipped from the room, followed by Orrin, and then Rosie. Nirro and Mar were flipped open to the second page of Mar's stack, sprawled out on the floor. Mar was kicking her legs as she held her head in one hand, and her pencil in the other. Nirro pointed something out on the paper and she quickly jotted something down.

"You guys are fast workers," Rosie remarked, settling down next to Mar. In little over an hour, they completed Mar's papers, and it took around ten minutes to copy from it. Suddenly, Orrin jumped up. They stared at him.

"I got it!" He screamed. No one said anything. Mar raised an eyebrow. "A _SONG_," He said.

"WHICH song?" Mar questioned.

"You know that movie with the werewho, and the chipmunks..."

"Alvin and the Chipmunks meet the Werewho?"

"That's it!"

"What about it?"

"Remember the middle song, Monster Out in You?"

"YES!" Everyone shouted. "JUST GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!"

"Okay, okay! Jojo and Rosie can sing it!"

"Hmmm, okay. Oh! And Jojo can sing Sound the Bugle now, from Spirit! A song dedicated to surviving the school year for the summer! The teachers would love that!" Orrin looked a little put out at Mar's suggestion, but at least he'd picked ONE of the songs.

"Hey, now that we know the songs, let's go practice 'em!" Nirro jumped up.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! How come I don't get to sing a solo?" Rosie pouted. Mar chuckled.

"Alright, Rosie, you can sing a 5th song. Mono, it's YOUR turn to decide!"

"Ummm... Ummmm.... Well... Oh! How about Disturbia?"

"Disturbia? Doesn't that song curse?" Rosie asked, making a face.

"You can skip those words,"

"Well... Okay," She shrugged, and smiled.

"Alright, Rosie's solo first, people have heard her in school, sort of. Then Jojo's, then Bad Day, then Sound the Bugle now, for contrast, then we end it with a bang, and Kids of America is last. How's that sound?" Mar looked around. Everyone nodded. She smiled. "Then it's settled. It's kind of a good thing we get this "vacation" deal,"

The next two days were mostly uneventful. Rehearsals, sleepover style nights, and homework, with meals, breathing, and mostly hanging out around town in between. They told Musa about everything when she came to drop off their homework, and she was even more excited then them.

"A song to promote TRYING in school! Only you six could fit that in so well!" And when they went back to school, everything was back to normal. People were much too busy gossiping about the up coming concert to remember the big events between Rosie and Tiffany. Tiffany was officially not popular anymore, and she sulked far too much to notice anyone but Stacey and herself anymore. Rosie felt bad for her, and resolved to see what she could do, AFTER the chaos that came with the concert was over. She wasn't sure how, but she would try to reconcile with the who and her friend the first chance she got after the concert. They probably wouldn't even show up for the concert at all.

And so a Back-To Normal-Sleepover came and went, and they readied themselves for the concert, as time raced on, and brought fate nearer and nearer.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: The concert**_

Time flew by like an eagle, pulling them closer to the concert with it's talons. It was on a Saturday, and no conversation went by without mention of it. Finally, Friday came along, and even the teachers could hardly wait. Musa was ecstatic, rushing about to get things ready.

"This is your first concert, but I've gotten you set up at one of the top five concert halls in Whoville!" She beamed. They had thought Orrin and Nirro were going to faint. Nirro seemed to contemplate it, but decided Mar wouldn't catch him, anyway. (**They're on a speck; they can't FIT enough concert halls to have a top ten list!)**

"LOOK! It's THEM!" Someone called.

"R*F*Y*L!" Screamed Rosie. (**Means run for your life!)** They fled to their separate classrooms in the hopes their teachers would be there to save them. Of course, not all of them were. Rosie and Jojo's homeroom teacher wasn't. Kids flooded into the room after them. They hadn't yet figured out the meaning of each of the group's signals were, but they knew it meant run to the classrooms, or anywhere they could find.

Rosie's was, of course, R*F*Y*L, Jojo didn't have one, he just started running, Mar's was run for your sanity, R*F*Y*S, Nirro's was R*F*Y*H, run for your honor, Orrin's was J*R*P, just RUN, people, and Mono's was R*A*H, run and hide. They had gotten good at talking to one another in this first letter code, even Musa.

"WHAT SONGS ARE YOU DOING?"

"THIS CONCERT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!"

"YOU GUYS ARE SO COOL!"

"I WISH I WAS YOU!"

"WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?" Rosie desperately glanced at Jojo. He nodded, with a small smile. She nodded back with a more determined look, opened her mouth, and...

"I*R*A*J, W*T*I*H! M, H*U!" Rosie screamed, at the top of her lungs, but not loud enough to hurt her voice. It meant, it's Rosie and Jojo, we're trapped in homeroom! Musa, help us!

"CHILDREN!" Everyone hushed as their band and choir teacher rushed in. The code had been used before, sometimes slightly different, depending on the callers. Otherwise, even Musa wouldn't have understood. The kids all sat down obediently, and the teacher walked in.

"My, Mrs. Merrywho! I've never seem them quiet DOWN so quickly! You simple MUST tell me of your ways!" Unfortunately, the teacher was the wife of the chairman, and, though she was a lot less stuck up and rude, she was a great deal like her husband, as well.

"I heard a cry for help from two of my favorite students, that's all,"

"Thank you, Musa!" Rosie called. Mrs. Vonfrood glared back at her. She thought highly of raising one's hand before speaking, and calling teachers by their proper, respectable names.

"You're quite welcome, Rosie!" Jojo looked up from his notebook with a questioning look. "You, too, Jojo. See you in band and choir!" He flashed her a smile, which quickly faded, and looked back down. She left, and class began.

"Because there was another teacher involved, none shall be punished. However, next time something of the like happens, a good deal of you will be seeing me in detention. You're all lucky I haven't decided to increase your homework loads so as to make that CONCERT impossible," She glared again at Rosie, who infuriated her even more by smiling innocently back. She scowled, and no doubt was debated on whether or not to give a speech on respecting elders, but thought better of it. After all, she wasn't JUST an elder.

The day wore on, slowly dragging everyone with it. Tension piled up, and everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the assembly at the end of the day to explain where the concert would be. When that time arrived, Mr. Eduwho gave a long boring speech about his pride in the school, and FINALLY passed the microphone over to Musa. Whos that had fallen asleep were woken by their friends, or the cheer that went up in relief. (Mr. Eduwho thought the cheer was for him, and was well pleased.)

"My good students! I am proud to announce that this concert, containing our choir and band, as well as a new private band... No, don't cheer yet, save it... Is to be held at the Whoville Chorus Center!" A loud cheer rang out as the 4th best concert hall's name was spoken. "The members of this private band, please come up here!" Another cheer went up, each member introducing themselves in the microphone.

"Hi, I'm Rosie Reeses. I sing for _Shadow wings_," Cheering.

"Hey, ladies! Orrin Minnow here! I play base guitar!" A slightly smaller cheer.

"Mono Flight, drums! And this is Jojo Mcdodd, second singer!" Louder cheer than Rosie's.

"Nirro Minnow, second drummer!" Even louder cheer.

"Hey, you all know me! Mar Moore, main guitarist!" The cheer was louder than any of the others. As the group stood in order next to Musa, she began to talk again.

"And now, as one, _Shadow wings_!" They all stepped forward.

"Whos gonna rock?" Rosie shouted.

"_SHADOW WINGS_!"

"Where are we rockin'?" Mar called.

"WHOVILLE CHORUS CENTER!"

"That's right! Come to the concert, tomorrow night at 8!" Mar punched the air. "ROCK ON!" The cheer was longer and louder then before. A huge crowd came at them, guys nonchalantly asking Rosie and Mar out, who declined, as did the boys to most of the girls. Well, MOST of the boys, anyway. Orrin had a girl at each arm, glaring at the other, and Mono had become quite taken to a particular light green who.

The next morning, Rosie jumped from her bed and raced to the phone to call Mar, who, sure enough, was still asleep. She was thankful for the wake up call, and helped Rosie wake the others. Jojo's entire family came in one limo, with Ned, and Sally with another. There was two empty seats in Ned's limo, as Jojo joined the others with Sally.

"I'M SO EXCITED!" Rosie cried. "I'm going to be singing in the 4th best concert hall in WHOVILLE! And it's only our first CONCERT!" They were all just as excited. When they pulled up at the Whoville Chorus Center, they went in the back door. They got all set up, and listened to the voices on the other side of the curtain.

"Tonight, we have Whoville High's choir and band, and a NEW private band, who call themselves _Shadow wings_! This is their first concert, and, it being HERE, well, they HAVE to think they're good! So, give it up for Musa Merrywho!"

"Thank you, thank you! _Shadow wings_ will be your favorite band in a heartbeat, trust me! In all my years as a choir and band teacher at Whoville High, I have never SEEN such a talented group of willing friends to create such beautiful music! But first, let me present to you, Whoville High's choir!" Rosie and Jojo matched their voices with the others, and the choir wasn't bad. The band was better. Next was them. Swallowing nervously, Rosie said,

"I didn't realize there was going to be so many PEOPLE!"

"Aw, you'll do FINE, Rosie! You and Jojo are GREAT singers! And most of the time, you'll be singing together! You'll blow 'em away, you two!" Mar grinned.

"I know, it's just..." She trailed away.

"And now, _Shadow wings_!" Musa said. A loud cheer rose up. And the curtains rose. Rosie gulped. But as she sang, she forgot the crowds, and just flowed with the song. There was thousands of people, colored lights everywhere, she could here her friends playing the music behind her. Then, she gave herself completely to the music.

**What's wrong with me?**

**Why do I feel like this?**

**I'm goin' crazy now!**

**No more gas, in the red, can't even get it started,**

**Nothing heard, nothing said, can't even speak about it,**

**On my life, on my head, don't wanna think about it,**

**Feels like I'm goin' insane, yeah,**

**It's a thief in the night, to come and grab you,**

**It can creep up inside you and consume you,**

**A disease of the mind, it can control you,**

**It's too close for comfort,**

**Put on your pretty lies, we're in the city of wonder,**

**Ain't gon' play nice, watch out, you might just go under,**

**Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered,**

**So if you must falter, be wise,**

**Your minds in Disturbia, it's like the darkness is light,**

**Disturbia, am I scarin' you tonight,**

**Disturbia, never used for what you like,**

**Disturbia, Disturbia,**

**Faded pictures on the wall, it's like they're talkin' to me,**

**Disconnected on calls, the phone don't even ring,**

**I gotta get out, or, figure the ___ out,**

**It's too close for comfort,**

**It's a thief in the night, to come and grab you,**

**It can creep up inside you and consume you,**

**A disease of the mind, it can control you,**

**I feel like a monster,**

**Put on your pretty lies, we're in the city of wonder,**

**Ain't gon' play nice, watch out, you might just go under,**

**Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered,**

**So if you must falter, be wise,**

**Your minds in Disturbia, it's like the darkness is light,**

**Disturbia, am I scarin' you tonight,**

**Disturbia, never used for what you like,**

**Disturbia, Disturbia, Disturbia,**

**Release me from this curse I'm in,**

**Tryin' to maintain but I'm strugglin',**

**If you can't go-o-o-o-o-o-,**

**Think I'm gonna, uh-h-h-h-h,**

**Put on your pretty lies, we're in the city of wonder,**

**Ain't gon' play nice, watch out, you might just go under,**

**Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered,**

**So if you must falter, be wise,**

**Your minds in Disturbia, it's like the darkness is light,**

**Disturbia, am I scarin' you tonight,**

**Disturbia, never used for what you like,**

**Disturbia, Disturbia.**

As she finished, Rosie opened her eyes to a screaming crowd of fans. She backed away, and walked off stage to the left. It was Jojo's turn.

**Where is the moment we needed the most **

**You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost **

**You tell me your blue skies fade to grey **

**You tell me your passion's gone away **

**And I don't need no carryin' on **

**You stand in the line just to hit a new low **

**You're faking a smile with the coffee to go **

**You tell me your life's been way off line **

**You're falling to pieces everytime**

**And I don't need no carryin' on **

**Because you had a bad day **

**You're taking one down **

**You sing a sad song just to turn it around **

**You say you don't know **

**You tell me don't lie **

**You work at a smile and you go for a ride **

**You had a bad day **

**The camera don't lie **

**You're coming back down and you really don't mind **

**You had a bad day **

**You had a bad day **

**Well, you need a blue sky holiday **

**The point is they laugh at what you say **

**And I don't need no carryin' on **

**You had a bad day **

**You're taking one down **

**You sing a sad song just to turn it around **

**You say you don't know **

**You tell me don't lie **

**You work at a smile and you go for a ride **

**You had a bad day **

**The camera don't lie **

**You're coming back down and you really don't mind **

**You had a bad day **

**(Oh... Holiday...)**

**Sometimes the system goes on the blink **

**And the whole thing turns out wrong **

**You might not make it back and you know **

**That you could be well oh that strong **

**And I'm not wrong (ahhh...) **

**So where is the passion when you need it the most **

**Oh, you and I **

**You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost **

**'Cause you had a bad day **

**You're taking one down **

**You sing a sad song just to turn it around **

**You say you don't know **

**You tell me don't lie **

**You work at a smile and you go for a ride **

**You had a bad day **

**You've seen what you like **

**And how does it feel for one more time **

**You had a bad day **

**You had a bad day **

**(Oh, yeah, yeaaah, yeah) **

**Had a bad day **

**(Oh, had a bad day) **

**Had a bad day **

**(Oh, yeah, yeah, yeeeeah) **

**Had a bad day **

**(Oh, had a bad day) **

**Had a bad day... **

**Had a bad day...**

And it was over. The crowd was even wilder, and a number of girls fainted. Jojo walked off to the right and disappeared. The girls that fainted woke up as the crowd cheered louder. Mar gave a speech, Orrin looked a little upset, as his idea had been overlooked, and both whos came on stage to sing. Their voices weaved together as one, making them three times more beautiful.

**Sound the bugle now, play it just for me,**

**As the seasons change, remember how, I used to be,**

**Now I can't go on, I can't even start,**

**I got nothin' left, just an empty heart,**

**I'm a soldier, wounded so I, must give up the fight,**

**There's nothin' more, for me, lead me away,**

**Or leave me lyin' here,**

**Sound the bugle now,**

**Tell them I don't care,**

**There's not a road I know, that leads to anywhere,**

**Without a light, I, fear that I will, stumble in the dark,**

**Lay right down; decide not to go on,**

**Then from on high, somewhere in the distance,**

**There's a voice that calls, remember who you are,**

**If you lose yourself, your courage soon will follow,**

**So be strong tonight, remember who you are,**

**Yeah, you're a soldier now, fighting in a battle,**

**To be free once more, yeah, that's worth, fightin' for!**

Most of the crowd was in tears when they finished, and stopped instantly when Mar spoke up.

"ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?"

"YEAH!"

"THEN, LET'S ROCK!" The music changed, and Rosie and Jojo smiled.  
**Looking out a dirty old window,  
Down below the cars in the city go rushing by,  
I sit here alone and I wonder why,  
Friday night and everyone's moving.  
I can feel the heat but its soothing heading down,  
I search for the beat in this dirty town,  
Downtown the young ones are going,  
Downtown the young ones are growing,  
**_**[Chorus:]**_**  
We're the kids in America,  
We're the kids in America,  
Everybody live for the music around,  
Bright Lights,  
The music gets faster,  
Look boy don't check on your watch, Not another glance,  
I'm not leaving now honey not a chance,  
Hot shot give me no problems,  
Much later baby you'll be, saying "never mind,"  
You know life is cruel,  
Life is never kind,  
Kind hearts don't make a new story,  
Kind hearts don't grab any glory,  
**_**[Chorus:]**_**  
We're the kids in America,  
We're the kids in America,  
Everybody live for the music around,  
Come closer honey that's better,  
Gotta get a brand new experience feeling right,  
Oh, don't try to stop baby hold me tight,  
Outside a new day is dawning,  
Outside suburbia calling, everywhere,  
I don't want to go baby,  
New York to East California,  
There's a new wave coming, I warn ya,  
**_**[Chorus:]**_**  
We're the kids in America,  
We're the kids in America,  
Everybody live for the music around,  
We're the kids in America,  
we're the kids in America,  
Everybody live for the music around.**

Everybody cheered, the floor vibrated, and the sound echoed around the walls, ringing in Rosie's ears. The lights were on them, and as their friends behind them went absolutely crazy, Jojo silently slipped his hand into Rosie's. She looked up, and he smiled at her. She beamed. This was the best day of her life.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11: A dozen dark roses**_

It was Monday. Gossip had already flown that Jojo and Rosie were going out, so they just went along with it. Mono and his new girlfriend, the same light green who from before, had already gone to class, and Orrin was running for his life with a camera, yet somehow laughing, from an extremely angry Mar, and bright red Nirro. You guess what happened!

"Will he EVER learn?" Laughed Rosie. Jojo shook his head, smiling.

"Aw, come on, Mar! What would you have done if you caught your brother and his secret girlfriend..."

"CAUGHT would have been on accident! YOU happened to have a camera with you, that's not suspicious at ALL!" Mar yelled, sarcastically.

"M, I*O! M*W*T*K*M!" Orrin screamed. It meant, "Musa, it's Orrin! Mar wants to kill me!" He'd been using that code a LOT lately.

"MAR! Leave Orrin alone!

"But Musa! He..." Mar stopped, snatched the camera, and pointed to it. Looking at Nirro's red face, Musa guessed what had happened.

"Oh, you know how he is. Besides, what would you do if you caught..."

"IT'S NOT CAUGHT UNLESS IT'S AN ACCIDENT! HE HAD A CAMERA!"

"Can I at least have the camera back?" Orrin asked, in a small voice. "It's the only one I have," Mar looked at him, then back at the camera. She pushed a few buttons, deleting the offending picture. She handed the camera back.

"Here. Just remember, next time, you'll get it back in pieces," He took it, gulped, nodded, and fled. Rosie laughed again, and opened her locker. A small paper floated down. She picked it up. It was a song! She tucked it away and headed for class, smiling.

When lunch time rolled around, she went and sat with her friends, and boyfriend. But an unlikely who came over to her just as she sat down.

"Hi," Tiffany said quietly.

"Ummm... Hey," Rosie replied. Tiffany seemed... Different.

"I went to your concert last night, and... Ummm... It was really good,"

"Thanks,"

"I... I've been a jerk. I was just so jealous, and... I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I... I'm sorry," Rosie blinked. TIFFANY, apologizing?

"We both are," Stacey said, coming up from behind her friend. "Anyone who can sing like that, in front of so many people, and still be modest, and sweet, and caring, well, shouldn't have to put up with whos like us. We're sorry," Rosie got up from the table, and her friends did the same. Tiffany looked up from the ground.

"Friends?" She asked. Rosie gave her one of her famous smiles, and hugged her.

"Friends," She said. Orrin, Nirro, Mono, Mar, and Jojo closed their two former enemies into a group hug. Mono's new girlfriend, disgusted, threw a rock that she somehow managed to find on the floor at him, signaling she was through, after only three days. Mono looked sad, but Stacey put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her.

"You're part of the family now!" Orrin cried. Musa, who was always in the lunch room when they were, walked up with a smile.

"Yes, you are!" She said, hugging them. Orrin was watching Tiffany intently, and Mono elbowed him with a grin.

When school was out, all nine friends said goodbye, and left. On the bus, Tiffany sat next to Orrin, while Nirro sat alone, smiling as he texted Mar. Jojo and Rosie sat together, as always.

"You've got something on your mind. What're you planning?" She asked. Jojo smirked, and kissed her. When she got home, she was still in the clouds.

"Rosie, this was in the mail for you. Hmm, 12 roses is supposed to mean love," Her mother said, smiling. She was holding a dark green, crystalline vase, in which a dozen darkly colored roses were neatly arranged. They were absolutely beautiful. She brought it in her room, and put it on the dresser next to her bed. She looked at the note. It read, **Thank you for everything. Love, anonymous musical genius.**

She smiled, and looked up at the observatory. Jojo didn't have to be mayor when he grew up anymore, and he was happy. That made her happy, as well.

That night, she heard the very same song from the paper in her locker playing. She got up with a smile, opened the window, and sang along.

**Do you hear me? I'm talking to you,**

**Across the water, across the deep blue ocean,**

**Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying,**

**Boy, I hear you in my dreams,**

**I feel your whisper across the sea,**

**I keep you with me in my heart,**

**You make it easier when life gets hard,**

**I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend,**

**Lucky to have been where I have been,**

**Lucky to be coming home again,**

**Ooh, ooh, ooh,**

**They don't know how long it takes,**

**Waiting for love like this,**

**Every time we say goodbye,**

**I wish we had one more kiss,**

**I'll wait for you I promise you, I will,**

**I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend,**

**Lucky to have been where I have been,**

**Lucky to be coming home again,**

**Lucky we're in love in every way,**

**Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed,**

**Lucky to be coming home someday,**

**And so I'm sailing through the sea,**

**To an island where we'll meet,**

**You'll hear the music fill the air,**

**I'll put a flower in your hair,**

**Through the breezes through the trees,**

**Move so pretty you're all I see,**

**As the world keeps spinning 'round,**

**You hold me right I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend,**

**Lucky to have been where I have been,**

**Lucky to be coming home again,**

**Lucky we're in love in every way,**

**Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed,**

**Lucky to be coming home someday,**

**Ooh, ooh,**

**Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.**

And the neighbors didn't even bother to quiet her.


End file.
